Muncherji’s march

"This has been a hard fought election. There has been a lot of acrimony and mudslinging. Let us forget the past (and) work together for a common cause. Let us move forward,” stated Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Dinshaw Mehta when addressing the crowd awaiting the trusteeship election results on July 4, 2011 after nearly eight hours of counting of votes at the Muncherji Khareghat Hall.

This election saw a voter turnout of 8,346 with Muncherji Cama garnering 5,134, his rival Anahita Desai securing 3,510, Ervad Adi Govadia, 101, and Noshir Gotla 28 votes. Fifty-six votes were invalid. The votes for the five polling centers, Khareghat Colony, Cusrow Baug, Rustom Baug, Dadar Parsi Colony and Bharucha Baug were computed sequentially where Cama emerged the winner in the Donor Register category at all the centers (securing 652 of the 964 valid votes; a donor vote being counted as two votes) and in the General Register at four of the five venues (garnering 4,482 of the 7,809 valid votes). Only at Rustom Baug where Desai resides did she gain a lead of around 170 more than Cama whose margin at the four other centers varied between 395 and 522. The Rustom Baug tally however included a bus load of voters from Gujarat accompanied by WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis) chairman Areez Khambatta of Ahmedabad.

1st row : (from left): Kerssie Wadia, Mahiyar Dastoor, Muncherji Cama, Rustom Jasoomoney, Homai Modi, Zarir Bhathena and Rusi Bhumgara; Anahita Desai with her supporters;

3rd row : scrutineers and BPP staff with ballot papers, (extreme right) Cawas Panthaki and Mehli Colah;

(below) Khojeste Mistree keeping vigil; candidates and volunteers get respite

Photos on facing page: Sarosh Daruwalla

Even before the chief election officer Rustom Jasoomoney could officially announce the results, the bursting of fire crackers and the sound of drumbeats could be heard from the crowd gathered on the grounds. Dinshaw Mehta’s sons Viraf, Hormuz and Darayus and trustee Arnavaz Mistry’s daughter Yasmin along with Kersi Randeria of the Alert Zoroastrians Association who had masterminded Cama’s election campaign could not stop beaming at what they considered a "landslide victory,” Cama’s margin being 1,624 votes. In fact upbeat Cama supporters who had spent the day under the specially erected shamiana on the road below, eagerly awaiting the verdict, rushed up to congratulate their candidate but were asked to go down by the scrutineers with the assurance that the victorious candidate would soon be in their midst.

Key contestants Muncherji Cama and Anahita Desai

As Jasoomoney, scrutineers Mahiyar Dastoor, Homai Modi and Rusi Bhumgara, Mehta, Cama and Mistry stood on the landing outside the Alpaiwalla Museum they were greeted with blaring lights, flower garlands, and even a potato garland for the overweight candidate who had been likened to a potato by the rival group. Not everyone may have been privileged to share from the bottle of champagne but Choc Affaires chocolates were relished by all who had come to join in the celebrations that evening.

"Thank you all for your support,” acknowledged Cama who hoped that his joining the BPP board would "open a new vista” whereby he would be able "to write a new history for the community.”

Cama was officially inducted as trustee the following day, July 5 at 12 noon at the BPP boardroom. Parsi Times in its issue of July 9 carried photos of Cama with his co-trustees on the board. Parsiana carries an interview with Cama (see "More beneficiary friendly,” page 24). Desai however "did not want to be interviewed” stating WAPIZ is not happy with the magazine’s anti-WAPIZ stance.

Members of Team WAPIZ that had endorsed their chief executive officer’s candidature peacefully conceded defeat for soon after the last of the ballot papers were scrutinized Desai walked up to Cama to congratulate him and his sister Dr Villy Cama, and thank Jasoomoney and his team Dastoor, Modi and Bhumgara as well as BPP chief executive officer Mehli Colah and senior executive (welfare) Cawas Panthaki as also the staff members who were on duty and ably handled the balloting and counting of votes. In fact WAPIZ founder and BPP trustee Khojeste Mistree walked up to Cama soon after the Rustom Baug tally was done to congratulate him, expecting him to emerge victorious. "I hope we will work together as a team,” stated Mistree earning a response, "I am sure we will.” Jimmy Mistry who was supporting Desai’s candidature and Armaity Tirandaz who had refused to align herself with either candidate too were seen happily chatting with Cama during the breaks between counting.

Following the round of victory speeches when Mehta turned around to extend a cordial hand to WAPIZ members with whom he had been warring for the past two months, Dadar resident Tannaz Parakh was the only one who refused to shake hands saying, "I’m sorry.”

Mehta’s statement in the Jam-e-Jamshed of July 10 declared, "A lot of people are of the opinion that this current board will not last due to the considerable infighting during the course of this election. I intend to prove these people wrong and show that no matter what rift took place over the last two months, for the next four years, we trustees will work together towards the welfare of the community. I extend this call for unity to everyone. There are various differences of opinion on matters relating to our community. We need to learn to accept these differences and work out a solution together through open dialog. The board has an ever-growing vision to move ahead… A code of conduct, especially for mid-term elections will be shortly formulated and the court moved for amendment to the election scheme.”

The WAPIZ Page in The Free Press Journal of July 8 equated Cama’s victory to "Dinshaw Mehta’s muscle power + Munchi Cama’s money power.” The first sentence on the Page read, "Anahita Desai has not lost. Lies and deceit have won.” The blurb further rued, "While campaigning you cannot play dirty, do everything to try and destroy the opposing candidate’s reputation, tell total lies, talk rubbish, bully and intimidate the other candidate’s supporters, send goondas to their homes, abuse your co-trustees, grossly misuse your position as chairman and then after the election results are declared, stand up and say let us forget the past and start afresh. This is not acceptable.” The WAPIZ Page further declared, "In the course of the next few weeks, even though elections are over the WAPIZ Page will counter each and every untruth spread by Dinshaw Mehta and Team Cama about WAPIZ, its trustees, Anahita Desai and her supporters.”

A statement by an "overwhelmed” Desai publicly acknowledged her gratitude to "WAPIZ chairman Areez Khambatta for his unwavering support and even more importantly for his focused and dynamic leadership… my volunteers… all who reposed their faith in me and voted for me…(and) those who endorsed my candidature, especially our four High Priests…”

Berjis Desai’s analysis in his "Parsi Tari Arsi” column in The Bombay Samachar of July 10 offered another perspective: "Kersi Randeria, that cerebral spin bowler started it all by bowling several ‘doosras.’ WAPIZ violently hit their own stumps. Dinshaw Mehta, that wily old fast bowler flew into a mad rage when repeatedly no-balled by the WAPIZ umpires and clean bowled Anahita Desai. Munchi Cama played a flawless innings and deflected all WAPIZ bouncers without ever moving his feet. Arnavaz and Yasmin Mistry steadied Cama’s innings. Young Jimmy Mistry came to bat with too many guards, tried to hit a sixer at Rustom Baug, and was caught in the slips. Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor hit Areez Khambatta out of the stadium. The messiah (Khojeste Mistree) could not score [now he says ‘mindi (zero)’ instead of ‘pendo (sweetmeat)’]... The community’s properties are safe for now.”