Readers' Forum
“Line of control”
Reading "Line of control” (Parsiana, February 7, 2013) was not just hilarious, but reminded me of my college days. I had to study a novel, Love and Mr Lewisham by H. G. Wells. I don’t remember much of the novel except one sentence: "Mr Lewisham married in haste and repented at leisure.”
Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Dinshaw Mehta, in order to sit on the BPP gaadi (seat), married in haste by allying with the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ), but alas fortunately or unfortunately like Lewisham did not get the opportunity to repent at leisure. He gave talaq (divorce), and hitched his wagon to Muncherji Cama. And so the fun began.
Since then there has been no line and no control. It is a lawless jungle out there, causing chaos, confusion and criminal waste of time and resources. The comments: "It is not Zarthostipanu,” is laughable. Bawa, it is Parsipanu. It is a dog eat dog situation out there in the jung-e-maidan (battlefield). Grab the anjumans, grab the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) and grab the BPP. Once that is achieved you are the master of all you survey. It all boils down to that.
If you ask me the Federation has become like a public arena. One anjuman comes in another goes out. One fellow represents one anjuman today and next time he represents another. These people are treating the community as a joke, as a personal fiefdom.
What is touted as democracy in the FPZAI is nothing short of hypocrisy. Henry Louis Mencken has said, "Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.” Does the cap fit?
Mehta threatened to throw Tannaz Parakh out. May the community know why the same was not done to Khushman Tamboli who disrupted the meeting which had to be concluded early instead of at its scheduled time?
As for the Iranian Zoroastrian Anjuman (IZA), although the Parsi Press may muzzle the voice of small fry like me, as is their wont, the non-Parsi Press suo moto has come out with it. The Times of India dated March 3, 2013, has published a report on its front page titled "Irani trust to sell 963 acre Palghar land for Rs 732 crore.” Following in the footsteps of the BPP, the matter will now end up in court and then, like the fatwa against the priests, it will hang fire while the money of the IZA will flow out like water.
Outside the (FPZAI) venue some people were singing and I thought they were rehearsing carols for the next Christmas. I was wrong, they were all bawas, and were singing "Jo téra hai woh méra hai, jo méra hai woh méra. Jo méra hai woh méra hai, jo téra hai woh méra. Téra maal, méra maal; méra maal, méra maal. Téra anjuman, méra anjuman, méra anjuman méra anjuman. Jo téra hai, so méra (What belongs to you belongs to me. What belongs to me is mine. Your anjuman belongs to me, my anjuman is mine.)” Only thing missing was accompaniment by the late Goody Seervai on the accordion and the late Bob Dumri on the drums. It would have become a hit all the way.
So let’s wait and watch for the next thrilling episode of "Federation maa faatfoot (splits in the Federation)” in September. Till then, jamva chaloji (come, let’s eat).
Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Dinshaw Mehta, in order to sit on the BPP gaadi (seat), married in haste by allying with the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ), but alas fortunately or unfortunately like Lewisham did not get the opportunity to repent at leisure. He gave talaq (divorce), and hitched his wagon to Muncherji Cama. And so the fun began.
Since then there has been no line and no control. It is a lawless jungle out there, causing chaos, confusion and criminal waste of time and resources. The comments: "It is not Zarthostipanu,” is laughable. Bawa, it is Parsipanu. It is a dog eat dog situation out there in the jung-e-maidan (battlefield). Grab the anjumans, grab the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) and grab the BPP. Once that is achieved you are the master of all you survey. It all boils down to that.
If you ask me the Federation has become like a public arena. One anjuman comes in another goes out. One fellow represents one anjuman today and next time he represents another. These people are treating the community as a joke, as a personal fiefdom.
What is touted as democracy in the FPZAI is nothing short of hypocrisy. Henry Louis Mencken has said, "Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.” Does the cap fit?
Mehta threatened to throw Tannaz Parakh out. May the community know why the same was not done to Khushman Tamboli who disrupted the meeting which had to be concluded early instead of at its scheduled time?
As for the Iranian Zoroastrian Anjuman (IZA), although the Parsi Press may muzzle the voice of small fry like me, as is their wont, the non-Parsi Press suo moto has come out with it. The Times of India dated March 3, 2013, has published a report on its front page titled "Irani trust to sell 963 acre Palghar land for Rs 732 crore.” Following in the footsteps of the BPP, the matter will now end up in court and then, like the fatwa against the priests, it will hang fire while the money of the IZA will flow out like water.
Outside the (FPZAI) venue some people were singing and I thought they were rehearsing carols for the next Christmas. I was wrong, they were all bawas, and were singing "Jo téra hai woh méra hai, jo méra hai woh méra. Jo méra hai woh méra hai, jo téra hai woh méra. Téra maal, méra maal; méra maal, méra maal. Téra anjuman, méra anjuman, méra anjuman méra anjuman. Jo téra hai, so méra (What belongs to you belongs to me. What belongs to me is mine. Your anjuman belongs to me, my anjuman is mine.)” Only thing missing was accompaniment by the late Goody Seervai on the accordion and the late Bob Dumri on the drums. It would have become a hit all the way.
So let’s wait and watch for the next thrilling episode of "Federation maa faatfoot (splits in the Federation)” in September. Till then, jamva chaloji (come, let’s eat).
BEHRAM AGA
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