Federation furore

Darayas N. Master, the recently elected vice president, Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI)-West Zone B, and president of the Surat Parsi Panchayat was "shocked” to learn from a telephone call made by FPZAI president and Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Dinshaw Mehta during a BPP board meeting on April 24, 2012 that matters relating to the FPZAI-West Zone B meet arranged by Master in Surat on April 21, 2012 were opposed by "certain trustees” (Khojeste Mistree and Yazdi Desai) of the BPP. Making no bones about his ire in this regard, he addressed a letter to Mehta dated April 25, 2012, a copy of which was sent to Parsiana.

"It is my prerogative to invite any one to the Surat meeting as an invitee/observer/guest speaker and no one can dictate to me whom I should invite. I had invited Vada Dastur Khurshed Dastoor of Udvada among other dignitaries (and Harshad Pandya, a legal person) to guide the Gujarat anjumans and panchayets regarding their religious and legal problems. Just because these two trustees do not get along well (with Dastoor) is no reason that he should not be invited by me,” he wrote.

Master pointed out that "this is not the first time that a Vada Dastur has attended the FPZAI-West Zone B meeting. Areez Khambatta had, in May 2009, called a meeting of the members of FPZAI-West Zone B and invited Dastur Cyrus Dastur of Surat despite the latter’s ill health. At this meeting Noshir Dordi of Surat created a ruckus and Khambatta, instead of stopping him, enjoyed it. A resolution was also thrust on the members stating that they supported the candidature of Khambatta as the vice president of FPZAI-West Zone B. Will the two trustees of the BPP explain why they did not oppose the invitation to Dastur at that time and why they are opposing the invitation to Dastoor now?

Yazdi Desai

"I would also like to point out that, at the FPZAI meeting at Bardoli in November 2003, Pervez Mehta in his capacity as the honorary secretary of the Bardoli Jarthosti Anjuman had invited Mistree and the previous office bearers of the FPZAI had not objected to his attending the meet. They were not as petty minded as these two present BPP trustees and had magnanimously allowed him to participate in the discussions. It was only after this exposure at Bardoli did Mistree and his cronies shoot into the limelight and formed WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis) which, unfortunately, is at present dividing our community.”

Elaborating further, Master pointed out that "it was not Dastoor who initiated the issue of fixing norms for proxies attending and voting at FPZAI meetings but the Bardoli representative, Pervez Mehta, which was appreciated by all including Dastoor who had discussed various norms for such proxies. However, further discussion was not allowed by the vocal representatives of Valsad and Nargol. Whilst a majority of those present were in favor, I respected the views of the minority and did not allow further discussions stating that each anjuman should discuss this in its board meeting and request the FPZAI president to take up the matter in the next FPZAI meeting.

(From l): Pervez Mehta, Darayas Master and Dastur Khurshed Dastoor;

"We also know that they had sent their stooges to disrupt our Surat meeting, but we still allowed them to finish their tutored speeches and then gave them a fitting reply point by point which ultimately shut them up. Please ask these two trustees of the BPP to once again check with their plants regarding the true picture, before creating unnecessary problems for all.

"Further, (Yazdi) Desai was adamant about attending the recent meeting at Surat (with malicious intentions, of course) and had been firmly advised not to attend without an invitation. I also feel that they are threatened, as I am earnestly helping the anjumans/punchayets of Gujarat in my capacity as vice president of the FPZAI-West Zone B and, as per their usual modus operandi are trying their best to prevent me from doing some good work to help these small anjumans/punchayets. They should know that I do not crave any post as certain other persons in WAPIZ do, but I have accepted the post of vice president of FPZAI to work for the betterment of the smaller anjumans/punchayets...

"The trustees of the BPP have absolutely no right to interfere and discuss such matters in their meetings as they concern the FPZAI. If at all discussions are to be held, it should be at the next FPZAI meet. Please note that the BPP and the FPZAI are two separate entities... The previous trustees of the BPP were wise persons who never interfered in the working of the FPZAI in their capacity as trustees of the BPP,” he emphasized.

In a rejoinder (a copy of which was sent to the magazine at Parsiana’s request) Desai has strongly refuted Master’s allegations. "It is abundantly clear from the tone and content of your letter that the ‘certain’ trustees you are referring to are Khojeste Mistree and me. However, I was not present at the BPP meeting on April 24, 2012. Consequently your entire letter which is based on this one premise falls flat on the ground... I am sure it will come as a shock to you that there could be trustees other than Mistree and myself who you fear are trying their best to prevent you from doing some so-called ‘good’ work to help the small anjumans/punchayets of Gujarat.”

Claiming that he had come to know of the April 21, 2012 meeting in Surat when one of the anjumans sent him a copy of the invitation extended by Pervez Mehta, secretary of the Bardoli Anjuman, who is first cousin of BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta, Desai says he was "very happy” that Master had taken the initiative to call a meeting of his zone. As Desai was scheduled to depose and lead evidence on behalf of the BPP in a case before the Civil Court in Navsari, he sent a message to Pervez, an old friend, to say that after the hearing in Navsari, he would be joining the meeting in Surat.

"When Pervez Mehta wrote back that I had to seek permission to attend the West Zone meeting in Surat, I was taken aback as to why, as the honorary treasurer of FPZAI and a BPP trustee and a member of the executive council of FPZAI permission was needed for me to attend a meeting involving the FPZAI... For you to say that I had malicious intentions is not only totally baseless but also wholly inappropriate.”

Desai also took objection to the Surat meeting "wanting to pass a resolution to change the constitution” of the FPZAI. "As vice president you should know that such an important matter must first be placed on the agenda and only then can it be discussed, leave aside attempting to pass a resolution. It is only inevitable that most of the anjumans totally rejected your ill advised motion.

"You say in your letter that WAPIZ had sent its ‘plants/stooges’ to your meeting... The persons attending your meeting were all ‘invited’ by you and Pervez Mehta; the anjumans were all represented by their trustees and office bearers; there were no ‘proxies’ allowed...

"Your accusation that WAPIZ is dividing our community is blatantly malicious, defamatory and unjustifiable. You will recall that during the flash floods in 2006 in Surat, WAPIZ was the first organization to distribute cash relief of Rs 12 lakhs amongst the affected Parsis in your constituency... In a short span of seven years WAPIZ has done more for the traditional cause than any other organization in the last 100 years. WAPIZ has and will always fight those who want to break our time tested traditions, customs and religious practices...”

Regarding the purported strained relations with Dastoor, Desai responded: "I am not sure what or who has given you the impression that Khojeste Mistree and myself do not get along with Dastur Khurshed Dastoor of Udvada. We have cordial relations with him and are working together on the Doongerwadi committee to strengthen dakhmenashini. In fact, Dasturji Saheb rang me up and spoke to me recently regarding the BPP’s intervention in the Udvada land case against Nucleus Developers which is before the Ahmedabad High Court.” (The matter has still to go to the High Court. Hearings before the Gujarat Revenue Tribunal are over and orders are awaited – editors)

Appreciating Master’s "newfound initiative in wanting to ‘discuss, guide and solve the problems pertaining to the legal/religious/federation matters of various anjumans/punchayets of South Gujarat’” Desai assured him of "full support in ensuring concrete action at ground level” while recording his aversion to rhetoric. "This, of course, will be possible only if you are able to shake off all political ambitions and alignments, and refuse to be used as a pawn in somebody else’s political vendetta.”