A day of shame

The bitter divide between the trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) erupted in public on the third day of polling in the keenly contested trusteeship election between candidates Muncherji Cama and Anahita Desai. A discussion between BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta, BPP trustee Jimmy Mistry and property developer Zarir Bhathena at the Rustom Baug pavilion on Sunday June 26, 2011 took an ugly turn when Mehta’s son Viraf placed his hand on Mistry’s shoulder and the latter’s bodyguard reportedly mistook it for an act of aggression. As the bodyguard allegedly turned on Viraf, supporters including Dinshaw’s second son Hormuz intervened.

Hormuz alleged that within six or seven seconds Mistry’s supporters emerged from a car and joined the melee. One of the bodyguards reportedly threatened to "kill” Viraf outside of the Baug premises whereupon Dinshaw’s wife Pansy fainted. She was rushed to Masina Hospital and later discharged but was still reportedly anxious about the safety of her sons. Mistry denies that his bodyguards made any threat or that they dealt any blows. "Their job is only to distance anyone approaching me,” he noted. Their job was not only to protect him but to "see to the security of the entire place.”

Viraf alleges that BPP trustee Khojeste Mistree’s son Kayan was busy photographing his prostrate mother while Kayan’s sister Tashan was giving a thumbs up signal to Jimmy. "A month ago we were friends,” recalled Viraf. "If they had been in trouble we would have rushed to help them.”

With a large number of supporters and a few policemen trying to separate the irate combatants, the crowd spilled onto the lawns with Bhathena and Mistry attempting to draw the multitude away from the barricaded and crowded voting area. The arrival of Rustom Baug resident and karate expert Vispy Kapadia, the ensconcing of Mistry in a ground floor Rustom Baug flat and the presence of a police van saw peace being restored after around 20 minutes.

Both Mehta and Mistry issued a joint statement on June 29, 2011 regretting the incident and apologizing for the fracas. "At Rustom Baug whilst the two of us were discussing certain issues related to the election we got into an argument which was slightly heated. Unfortunately, our supporters on either side got into arguments of their own and what followed was unruly behavior.

"However, neither side has hit anybody nor assaulted anybody. Too many false e-mails and sms are doing the rounds within our community.

"Any accusations made against each other are herewith withdrawn.

"In the interest of the community we found it prudent to issue a joint statement.

"With warm regards.”

Mistry told Parsiana that irrespective of whoever wins, Anahita who he was supporting or Cama, all the trustees would work for the common good.

The election day mayhem had its genesis a few days prior when during a trusteeship meeting in the BPP boardroom on Dadabhai Naoroji Road, Mehta and Mistry exchanged heated words over access to the list of vacant flats in the various baugs.

An open letter to "dear community members” penned by Mehta and BPP trustees Arnavaz Mistry and Armaity Tirandaz, published as an advertisement in the Jam-e-Jamshed Weekly of June 26, 2011 claimed, the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) trustees on the BPP board, Khojeste Mistree and Yazdi Desai along with Jimmy asked for the list of flats "for the very first time on May 31, 2011. Subsequently, the trio did not attend the next two board meetings, the third being called off due to a lack of quorum (fewer than three).

"On June 21, 2011, when Jimmy Mistry attended the board meeting, he asked the chairman for the list of vacant flats, who categorically informed him that it was not his responsibility to give him the list as he himself did not have one. The chairman further stated that if he wanted the list he should ask the BPP administration. Upon demanding the list from the BPP administration, Mistry was requested by the administration for a week’s time to update the list. However on insistence of Mistry to be given the list immediately, the BPP administration complied and the list submitted to the (Bombay) High Court as well the list of subsequent flats updated up to May 12, 2011 was handed over to Mistry and to all the other trustees.”

According to some reports the two would have come to blows with Mistry calling his bodyguards upstairs and Mehta objecting to their presence outside the boardroom. Mistry denies that his bodyguards were involved in boardroom matters.

The criticism against the presence of security men "is being used as a ploy to intimidate me. They have been with me for years,” so why is the fuss being created now?

Mistry wants the BPP meetings to be video recorded, housing and financial decisions to be made public and the BPP data base to be on the web.

The list was published in the WAPIZ Page of June 24, 2011 with WAPIZ claiming "we were finally able to obtain the list of vacant flats after a very tempestuous and unpleasant BPP board meeting on Tuesday 21 June 2011… however the list seems to be incomplete.”

(Clockwise from top left): Election president Rustom Jasoomoney (red checked shirt) in center of fray trying to restore calm; election officer Mahiyar Dastoor appealing to the crowd to leave the restricted area; presence of police and van; Dinshaw Mehta, Jimmy Mistry and Zarir Bhathena in discussion; (below) Pansy and Viraf Mehta

With this chill in relations between the trustees, when Bhathena was informed by Mehta that Jimmy had been spreading rumors in Dadar that Bhathena had given a 10 crore rupee bribe to Mehta in order to claim a plot of land for development in Panthaky Baug in Andheri, Bhathena asked to confront Jimmy in the presence of Mehta at the Rustom Baug venue where all three were present. [Bhathena said he had purchased the land in question this April for a consideration of 28 crore rupees (US $ 6,222,222) of which 10 crores was handed over to the BPP at that time and the balance was pending approval of the sale from the Charity Commissioner’s office.] Mistry denied spreading the rumor and Mehta and Mistry got into a heated argument when Viraf placed his hand on Jimmy’s shoulder — triggering off mayhem.

Until this issue of Parsiana was sent to press, 4,983 people had voted. The polling figures for the three venues are: Khareghat Colony on June 19, 1,863 total of which 1,692 general voters and 171 donors; Cusrow Baug on June 23, total 1,349 of which 1,230 general and 119 donors; Rustom Baug on the subsequent day, total 1,771 of which 1,692 general and 79 donors. Total donors voted 369. Total general 4,614. A donor’s vote is counted as two votes. The last two days of polling were scheduled for July 2 at Dadar Parsi Gymkhana and July 3 at Bharucha Baug.

Parsiana carries reports on two election campaign meetings held by Muncherji Cama and Anahita Desai.

Confidence in Cama

"Who will you vote for? A person who brings unity (referring to Muncherji Cama) or an organization that breaks the fabric of the community (implying WAPIZ)?” enquired Dastur Khurshed Dastoor, High Priest of Udvada when addressing the campaign meeting for Cama at Nowroz Baug on June 23, 2011. Although Dastoor had stayed away from the electioneering frenzy earlier, once he was named by the WAPIZ camp for being the cause of their defeat in the renegade priests case in the Bombay High Court and their subsequent decision to distance themselves from the Narendra Modi felicitation function in Udvada, he chose to expose the "double standards” of WAPIZ beginning the third week of June 2011.

Election officials (from left) Rusi Bhumgara, Homai Modi, Rustom Jasoomoney and Mahiyar Dastoor

WAPIZ was announcing from its platforms that although Dastoor may now proclaim that there is no defrocking of priests in the Zoroastrian religion, he had defrocked Ervad Framroze Mirza soon after he became High Priest of Udvada. Clarified Dastoor in his speech in Gujarati, "As per the rules observed by the Nav Kutumbi Athornan Anjuman in Udvada, by virtue of his marriage to a non-Parsi in 1985 Mirza surrendered his right to practice in Udvada.” Asserted Dastoor, "Mobed ni pugree nahi kaari sakai (a mobed cannot be denied of his ritual title). No mobed can be defrocked. We can only bar and boycott him but this right vests with the dasturs and the panthakies; not the BPP trustees.” He stated how nearly 10 years ago Dasturs (Drs) Firoze Kotwal and Kaikhusroo JamaspAsa had named seven/eight priests who were to be barred from performing their priestly duties but the WAPIZ team only raked up the issue with two priests after winning the election in 2008 because they wanted to take credit "ké hamé dharam bachaaviyéch (we are saving the religion).”

He further insisted that in the 60-page judgment of the Bombay High Court on the renegade priests case nowhere do the judges refer to Dastoor’s interview that is supposed to have turned the tables against them. In fact in paras 32 and 33 there is clear reference to the derogatory language and statements made on the WAPIZ Page in The Free Press Journal, he added.

They had also faulted Dastoor for not inviting them to the function, making Dastoor declare that an invitation had been issued by the Udvada Samast Anjuman. "Khurshed Dastoor naa lagan, navjote nahi hata ké éna naamnu invitation moklé (there was no wedding/navjote in Dastoor’s family that an invitation be issued by him).”

He questioned their claim for getting all the fire temples in Bombay declared as heritage properties where no development would be permitted whilst opposing the efforts of the Foundation for Development of Udvada to get the Iranshah notified as a heritage site. He mentioned how WAPIZ chairman Areez Khambatta had instructed the other High Priests to decline to sign a letter if the word "heritage” appeared in the document. He also alluded to architect Pankaj Joshi’s letter to WAPIZ CEO Anahita Desai telling her that he would be "ashamed to call you a Parsi if you think that Udvada doesn’t deserve heritage status.”

Deploring Khojeste Mistree’s audacity to question Dastur (Dr) Peshotan Mirza’s decision to sell his house in Udvada, Dastoor wondered why well-heeled members of WAPIZ did not offer to purchase it. Questioned Dastoor, "Kah gaila tamaaraa 500 crore naa maalik vaala séth (where was the owner of 500 crores, as Khambatta is wont to declare his assets)? So many Parsis have sold their houses in Udvada.” He only knew of one large-hearted Parsi, Aspi Chhapgar who had bought 11 houses in Udvada and further commented on Nowroz Baug resident Rohinton Mehta’s largesse in sponsoring trips to Udvada every month for those who can ill afford them.

A statement made by Team Anahita’s camp the previous day at Rustom Baug that the Lalbaug Agiary is "unholy” made Dastoor comment that only an "unholy or naapaak” person could have uttered something like that. Referring to WAPIZ’s 34 cases, all unsuccessful, against builder Zarir Bhathena who built Hilla Towers in the compound of the Wadia Agiary in Lalbaug, Dastoor further questioned their decision to fight against development at Kappawalla Agiary but not in the neighboring Batliwalla Agiary where land was allegedly sold to a Goan knowing that one of the founder trustees of WAPIZ Hoshang Wania is a trustee of the Batliwalla Agiary. He further clarified that the varasiaji was not brought back to the Wadia Agiary because JamaspAsa had then written that they would be happy if the varasiaji continued to stay on the Cama Baug grounds.

Also under attack was the Athravan Educational Trust founded by Khojeste Mistree and Homi Ranina over 25 years ago intending to use its one crore rupees to give a stipend of Rs 2,000 to every priest. "How many priests have earned this stipend?” enquired Dastoor mentioning that Athornan Mandal in collaboration with WZO (World Zoroastrian Organisation) expends Rs 1.25 lakhs on 58 mobeds every month.

Team Anahita member Bakhtawar Karbhari who had criticized Cama in many campaign meetings was faulted for creating a furore at the Iranshah on roz Ardibehesht, mah Meher. Seeing dark complexioned young boys, although duly identified as Surat Parsi Orphanage students, she believed they were dubras and demanded if they knew how to pray Yatha and Ashem and was taken aback when one of the older ones told her they can even pray the Atash Nyaish for they look after the dadgah on their school premises. The same lady had no qualms when these children’s dark complexioned father/uncle had to recently carry the corpse of her deceased husband into the dakhma, pointed out Dastoor.

On the subject of Doongerwadi he mentioned how the WAPIZ trustees who were initially objecting to the construction of the ownership building at Godrej Baug lest it look into a dakhma were, after becoming BPP trustees, willing to raise the floors stating that a curtain could be created during construction to ensure that workers don’t get a peep inside the dakhma! Who was going to build the curtain if not non-Parsis? he demanded to know. By adding a coat of paint to a bungli, Doongerwadi is not preserved, asserted Dastoor dismissing the oft repeated WAPIZ boast that they have changed the face of Allbless Bungli. Are they in a position to preserve the essence of Doongerwadi, wondered Dastoor considering that the chairman of the Doongerwadi committee Khojeste Mistree had no time to interact with scholars like Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar Karanjia, Dr Homi Dhalla, Ervad Parvez Bajan and Dr Jimmy Sidhwa who had sought a meeting with him. He reminded the audience how the WAPIZ representatives like to claim that they are available to the community 24x7, 365 days.

Challenging those riding on the "anti convertist” bandwagon, Dastoor was in favor of "an open debate at their place, their time and their scholars when I will be willing to give answers.” Khambatta’s favorite quote, "Jé dharam né chhédsé téné Areez Khambatta nahi chhodsé (those who tamper with religion will not be spared by Khambatta)” was given a new twist by Dastoor, "Jé dharamnaa naamé loko né chhédsé téné Khudrat nahi chhodsé (nature will not forgive those who incite people in the name of religion).”

Adding to WAPIZ woes

Among the others who were disenchanted with WAPIZ and had come to lend their support to Cama were Pervin Mistry who described herself as a "traditionalist” and then continued, "In the beginning I was a staunch supporter of WAPIZ” but was disappointed with their "double standards” particularly when she learnt that they were registered as a cosmopolitan society. Reiterating the role of the opposition party in a democracy she added, "If the BPP is taken over by WAPIZ what do we gain? Muncherji Cama does not need us. We need him. We need honesty and integrity in the BPP.”

The president of the Bardoli Anjuman, Homi Pithawalla had come all the way from Bardoli to complain how Jamshed Mohta, founder trustee of WAPIZ, was claiming the Bardoli Doongerwadi land as his own and trying to commercialize on the property despite four High Priests opining in a letter that disposing of Doongerwadi land is far worst than selling agiary land. "If WAPIZ and Khojeste Mistree are truly orthodox why are they not listening to the High Priests?” demanded Pithawalla shocked by the WAPIZ offer of Rs 1.5 crores from the proposed sale of land. He then referred to a telephone call he had received from Khambatta that morning at 10.33 a.m. which he had recorded. Khambatta blasted Pithawalla saying "Aai soo bhasi rahiya chhèo (what rubbish are you saying)?” and then used the choicest expletives. "I was shocked. How can we support WAPIZ if the president is like that?” he asked. He sought to know whether WAPIZ is convening an annual general meeting every year as required by law and whether a managing committee is elected every five years. To save the Parsi community and Parsi property Cama should be voted in, stressed Pithawalla.

1st row : From left: Nadir Godrej, Pheroza Godrej, Cyrus Guzder, Dr Cyrus Wadia and Farrokh Kavarana;

2nd row : Dastur Khurshed Dastoor with Maneck Engineer, Ratoo Dastur, Dadi and Silloo Engineer, Noshir and Mahvaz adrawala;

3rd row : Dhun Baria, Ervad Khushroo Madon, Bapoo Malcolm, Dastur (Dr) Firoze Kotwal, Sohrab Katpitia and Adi Doctor

Loyalists from Lalbaug

Zarir Bhathena was provoked to speak because of Team Anahita’s statements regarding the Wadia Agiary. He went on to enlighten the audience regarding the plight of Ervad Dinyar Vajifdar, the erstwhile panthaky of the Agiary who was initially instigated by WAPIZ who paid him Rs 25,000 monthly to oppose Bhathena’s moves but after losing each of their 34 cases from the charity commissioner to the Supreme Court forgot about him. With resources drying up and the children’s education to look after, Vajifdar’s wife and brother-in-law pleaded with Bhathena to permit them to sell their flat which fetched them a handsome amount of Rs 1.5 crores, mentioned the builder. He was happy to inform that philanthropist Scylla Vatcha who had recommended Bhathena’s candidature as trustee over 10 years before was supporting Cama this time.

Others from Lalbaug who were supporting Cama were Rohinton Mehta, also a builder, who believed that the WAPIZ overdrive to get all agiaries in Bombay declared as heritage property was a shortsighted move knowing that "so many agiaries with balance FSI will never be able to use the FSI (floor space index) forever.” According to him with the FSI used in the compounds of the Vachaghandhy Agiary and Wadia Agiary, the occupants of the building "sookhi chhè (are happy)… the Agiary is automatically protected.” He further announced that had he been trustee in Yazdi Desai’s place, knowing that he was not able to do justice to his position, he would have stepped down to make place for both Muncherji and Anahita.

Chairman of the Nowroze Baug Play Centre Nariman Mehta regretted that WAPIZ "dharam naa naamé beejaaoné bharkaavéch (instigating others in the name of religion) and criticized them for "capturing the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India” by setting up bogus members from small anjumans. To save the BPP from being captured by WAPIZ he urged all present to vote for Cama. He also related his personal experience of a couple of WAPIZ members on the Nowroz Baug committee who insisted that against the prevalent practice of praying two Yatha and one Ashem near the statue of Bai Jerbai Wadia, two Ashem and one Yatha be prayed.

"Evan jétlaa motaa chhè évan noo dil éné thi bi motu chhè (his heart is even larger than his girth),” summed up the evening compere Viraf Mehta referring to Cama’s many charities exceeding three crores in educational grants and 35 crores in medical grants. He wanted to know why WAPIZ had not inducted Anahita as a trustee when only three months ago another lady trustee was added to their board. He further criticized them for ridiculing BPP trustee Arnavaz Mistry when she had announced her support for her cousin Maneck Engineer who was contesting the last trustee election by coining "bhaiya, méré saiyaa (brother turns lover)…” but now permitting a husband-wife team on the board.

Need for a new vision

Cama’s two BPP trustee supporters, chairman Mehta and Arnavaz Mistry briefly addressed this meet too as the others in the past. "What the Punchayet wants is a new vision, a new thinking, a new independence,” declared Mehta particularly concerned that at the Rustom Baug meet Jimmy Mistry had announced that WAPIZ wants a majority on the BPP board. "Jimmy Mistry is a builder and developer. Beware of the builder and developer lobby,” continued Mehta. "What is the vision that Jimmy has given (to the Punchayet)?” Mehta asked rhetorically. He further stated that construction at the ownership building at Godrej Baug was held up because Jimmy Mistry allegedly objected to the refuge floor being created on the seventh floor level and wanted instead to distribute (the FSI) among several floors so that those flats could be sold. Architect Rusi Khambatta advised Mehta that this would be illegal, Mehta told the assembly. Mehta was also peeved with the recent WAPIZ allegation that Mehta had sought to keep secret the list of unoccupied BPP flats which Mehta insisted had been submitted to the High Court in May 2009 and was available to even the Alert Zoroastrians Association, Kersi Randeria and others.

Arnavaz Mistry impressed on the audience that despite Cama owning his own newspaper, The Bombay Samachar, he does not misuse his position to write against his opponent. Reminding the community that "we are at a crossroad,” she warned them not to get misled by mistruths but to vote for the trustee "who will be more beneficial to the community.”

Activists need planners

To counter Anahita’s claim that she is not only a social worker but a social activist, Cama asserted that activists are useful only when there are planners. "A trustee should have a very good vision, educational background, experience… A trustee should think of the next generation. A trustee’s job is proactive.”

With their concerted efforts to visually depict neglect of buildings managed by the Garib Zarthostiona Rehethan Fund (where Cama is trustee) on the WAPIZ Page, Cama labeled their efforts as Warped And Perverted Information for Zoroastrians. Their depiction of locked doors to show that flats are unoccupied Cama insisted were only the rear doors of shops on the ground floor. When they accused him of permitting a non-Parsi mehtrani to occupy a room, Cama joked, "In my 54 years I have not heard of a Parsi mehtrani. If any of you know of a Parsi mehtrani, even if she is a WAPIZ member, I’ll be happy to interview her.” Their continuous reference to his litigious nature made Cama comment, "I am not a beekan bailo (shy of a fight). My name is Muncherji Cama. I am not Jesus Christ… If I were litigious I would have filed a case (against Wania who has promised to return a flat since 2005) but I’m still hopeful…”

In the name of sports promotion "an activist bhalé ball-bat lai né phota paravva doriya karé (may run around with a bat and ball to gain publicity)” but true sports promotion is when our sportsmen shine at the state, national, international level for which they require good coaches, pointed out Cama.

How many of our community buildings have hand rails at the entrance for the convenience of senior citizens? How many have retractable awnings? These are the things which show "our care, our laagni (consideration),” he believed. Creches should be promoted in every colony where elders with time and inclination could do a dual service: to themselves by earning an income and help working couples look after the children.

Although the main speeches continued past 10 p.m. when those in the audience were given a chance to speak, one of them commented that he would equate Khojeste Mistree with Hitler: "The way Hitler brought down the world in seven years, Khojeste Mistree can bring down the community.”

L to R (top): Khojeste Mistree, Anahita and Yazdi Desai; (above) Mehli Colah and Areez Khambatta

Yet another youngster sought to ascertain how Cama was generating funds for his election campaign. Instead of spending 50 lakhs can’t something more be done for the community with this amount? Cama responded that both he and Anahita were keen to have a code of conduct but regretted that he had to cancel two meetings with her due to his ailing 96-year-old mother. When the issue came up before the board, Yazdi Desai reportedly requested that the matter be postponed to the next election.

The feeding at election time, he explained, is "part of the Parsi culture.” If some guest comes to your place at around 7 p.m. you invariably offer him chai and snacks. If he were to stay back till 8 or 9 an elder in the family would say, "Dikra kai khaai né jaa (child, have a meal before departing).” Maintaining that he is paying with his own cheque from his own funds, and instructing his campaign manager and volunteers to only hire the services of Parsis so that income can be generated for community members, Cama announced, "I don’t have to rely on sponsors, whether Areez Khambatta or Homi Ranina. I like to put my money where my words are and my words where my money is.”

Parinaz M. Gandhi

Clockwise from top left: Muncherji Cama, Dinshaw Mehta, Kersi Randeria, Hormuz Mehta, Yasmin and Arnavaz Mistry

Aligned with Anahita

A spate of contradictions ran through the speeches in favor of Anahita Desai — "daughter of Rustom Baug,” as noted lawyer and WAPIZ trustee Homi Ranina called her at her electoral meet in Rustom Baug on June 22, 2011.

"If three WAPIZ candidates are elected, they will constitute a quorum, assuming that others will not attend,” agreed Ranina, adding that their decisions can be cancelled by a full board meeting. "When Desai is elected, there will be three WAPIZ trustees plus four non-WAPIZ trustees. Three of seven is not a majority,” he did the math. "The BPP is not the private fiefdom of seven trustees. No one can control the Punchayet which belongs to all of us,” he added.

What Ranina did not say, was spelt out by the compere Benaifer Sahukar as she jubilantly introduced the next speaker, BPP trustee and Della Tecnica proprietor Jimmy Mistry: "Jimmy is neutral but supports Anahita…a builder with his heart in the right place,” in contrast to an unqualified "Armaity Tirandaz is neutral” at the end of Jimmy’s speech. "Khojeste, Yazdi and I have agreed on every single issue,” said Jimmy Mistry, ending with the words, "We need a majority. We need Anahita Desai.”

In his subsequent speech Khojeste Mistree, introduced as "the darling of the community,” added, "We want someone who can work, who can deliver…As Jimmy said, give us a majority on the board and see how things change.”

Candidates Ervad Adi Gowadia (ext left) with wife Dhun and Noshir Gotla (ext right) with wife Katy

"Woman with a healing touch”

Dwelling on the need for the new trustee to have loads of time to tend to the BPP, the apex body in all of India, Ranina noted, "The only person to fill this bill is Anahita Desai,” citing her work as WAPIZ chief executive officer, but tut tutted the notion that WAPIZ would then control the BPP. He was also derisive of the charge of nepotism that BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta laid at the door of the husband and wife team. "I have proposed her name, not Yazdi,” he maintained. He also charged Mehta with the "worst form of opportunism” for now making allegations against WAPIZ with whose four candidates he had shared a common platform in 2008.

Referring to Tata Sons director Farrokh Kavarana and HDFC’s managing director Keki Mistry as "excellent people,” Ranina said he considered them too professionally busy to have much time for BPP’s nitty-gritty. His clinching argument against accepting either as a consensus candidate was that such an arrangement was unlikely to prevent others from standing for office. BPP funds would still be squandered on an unwanted election.

Mehta has been considered as a housing expert and "Yazdi, Anahita and Khojeste have all supported his schemes.” Ranina contrasted the current scenario with what prevailed in 1984-94 when he was a trustee: The revenue from 62 flats in Spenta on Malabar Hill enabled the Punchayet to build 550 flats in Godrej Baug plus 160 flats in Bharucha Baug plus six buildings in Panthaky Baug. When Ranina retired and Mehta succeeded him to the BPP board in the following decade, 84 flats were added although the BPP had built up a corpus of Rs 140 crore by selling flats in the affluent baugs. "Now we have Jimmy and with Anahita’s and Khojeste’s support the 1,100 on the waiting list will come down,” a line that has been recurring at every BPP election. Implicit in the argument was the stand that a single trustee can turn the tide.

Ranina stoutly upheld WAPIZ’s pro-tradition stance taking a now mandatory swipe at Zarir Bhathena’s redevelopment of the Lalbaug Agiary. The varasiaji has been dehoused after over a 100 years, he alleged. He said granite and marble are fine "but for the religion we need the varasiaji.”

Proactive against the likely contention that WAPIZ is against the Udvada Atash Behram as it did not figure in WAPIZ’s list of fire temples submitted to the Maharashtra chief minister for inclusion as heritage sites, Ranina argued that Gujarat then did not have a heritage law. It is being drafted now.

Opponent candidate Muncherji Cama was strafed in protest against Berjis Desai’s language in his "Parsi Tari Arsi” column in The Bombay Samachar and all of Cama’s positive qualities turned on their head. According to Ranina, Berjis had written that Cama "knows the judicial system better than lawyers…he is familiar with each nuance and strategy…Cama is as hard as nails. Do we need a a trustee who is familiar with each (legal) nuance and strategy? Where has he got his expertise in litigation?” He spoke of Cama’s notices to the Rahnumae Mazdayas­nan Sabha and Mistree’s Zoroastrian Studies, reducing the standing of both to licencees and said, "We don’t need a man with a heavy hand. We need a woman with a healing touch.”

"We need a majority”

Noting that it is easy to file a dissent note but that you need majority support to do positive things, Jimmy claimed he had "plans and ambitions for the community…but every time you propose something it is run down. We want the BPP to go transparent…We are not in favor of selling or leasing one inch of Punchayet land, ever. We can only do this with mass majority support. On the board we need a majority. But there are some things you cannot go public with, can’t go against the interest of your own trust. We believe in resolving things.”

Claiming that "the four of us are good enough to overrule any litigation against the poor,” Jimmy said he did not want to go to the WAPIZ Page or Jam-e-Jamshed. Jimmy said a lot of work had been done and asked, "Why are we not going public with how many flats are available? Where?” All the current litigation is the baggage from the previous board, he alleged. Consultants employed by the BPP are trying to get rid of this baggage from the previous board, he noted. (Outgoing trustee Noshir Dadra­wala had been categorical that all litigation involving the new board had been initiated by themselves.)

At Nowroz Baug (from left) Nariman Mehta, Muncherji Cama, Arnavaz Mistry, Dastur Khurshed Dastoor, Dinshaw Mehta and inset Homi Pithawalla

"A fire burning within her”

Describing Anahita as "committed, multi tasked, a fire burning within her,” Khojeste Mistree said he gauged her commitment and dedication when the DDD-AG’s (Disposal of the Dead with Dignity – Action Group) cremate ni bungli was on the anvil of public discussion in 2001. He was all praise for the support she had galvanized for the orthodox cause as also the fight against the proposed world body in Ahmedabad in 2004. He claimed that the lady and her husband had given over a crore of rupees for religious and traditional causes. He claimed that Doongerwadi was a "hellishly difficult job, but there have been no complaints despite the hottest summer and wettest monsoon we had last year.” He credits this positive development to Anahita talking to the Doongerwadi staff, giving money for children’s education when required to do so. Then came the peroration: "I am not a politician; I am an ideologue. I have met more Zoroastrians than all of you put together. I have got all sorts of projects working all over the world. But I can say that Anahita Desai is the finest lady I have worked with.”

"Will never let you down”

"Now I know what Tendulkar feels when he bats on home ground!” claimed Anahita earning a lukewarm audience response. She then continued: "I have been very involved with the BPP since Yazdi was elected to the BPP. I have been involved with the staff. This position (as a BPP trustee) gives me the opportunity and the authority to do much more for the community.”

Confident of being "not just a housewife, not just a social worker,” Anahita claims that she was the one who had conveyed knowledge of the dakhma land in Sholapur being eyed by Muslims for their burial to Mehta. Throwing a googly to the voters she demanded, "What do you voters want from the BPP? Do you want harmony? Maramari bandh (a stop to fighting)? Then elect the candidate who is able to work with the present board, share their ideas and ideology.” Brandishing papers which she claimed were the AFP (Adult Franchise for Progress) manifestoes of 2008, she declared that Cama had just performed a somersault (by accepting Mehta’s housing policies, etc. The AFP had been uniformly critical.) "How long before he performs another?”

Referring to a claim from the Cama team that he wants to allot 100 houses, she advised, "Let him do this, then give him your vote. If you elect me, I will never let you down. That’s a promise.”

Among the few questions after the speeches was: "How will harmony be back? How will we get a better tomorrow?” "If Mehta can go with Kersi Randeria, he can come back to us. Come to us with ideas,” replied Anahita.

Noshir Captain wanted to know why she refused to come on a common platform with the other three candidates. She repeated what had been published in the Jamé on June 19, 2011 viz: she was convinced opposition "goons” would break up the event.

Captain also addressed Khojeste: In your manifesto of 2008 you had promised an up-to-date BPP website. This could have been easily done, maintained Captain.

Khojeste excused the delay by citing lack of time. "We inherited a lot of mess from the previous board…We didn’t start the (legal) cases; we inherited them. Eighty percent of the time has been spent in going through thousands of case papers…A lot has been done that you may not be able to see immediately.” He spoke of submitting their redevelopment plans to the Bombay Municipal Corporation. "MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority) said they had never known of anyone to refuse building permission. The government wants to bring down the lease to 30 years.”

Jimmy Mistry chimed in, "There are three files of 500 pages each. It is not easy. We need your support and a little bit of patience.”

Mehernosh Zaveri was effusive in his thanks to Anahita for her role in preventing the Kappawalla Agiary redevelopment. The use of Dr Mehroo Bengalee’s signature on the letter of support to Anahita was also brought on board to enable Yazdi Desai to speak of an "inadvertent mistake. We immediately apologized yet when the other side said (Bengalee) was not on the planning commission, she issued two letters. We can show you the documents and prove what we said.” Photographer Rustom Havewalla, a member of the audience noted, "The most important quality of Anahita is that she’s always smiling. How can a dookhi (pained) looking trustee make you sukhi (happy)?”

By now the audience had begun to thin. Then an obvious plant: "Will Anahita also quit like Dadrawala?” "I will never quit,” she answered.

"Never before has any baug produced a second trustee from the same baug,” commented Jimmy Mistry. "Never before has there been a husband-wife team from one baug. Make history; you will not regret it.”

Arnavaz S. Mama