“Focus on these problems”

The Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat (APP) is finalizing a scheme to ensure free cancer treatment to any Zoroastrian certified by them in exchange for a one time, one crore rupees ($ 166,666) donation to a new medical center being set up.
This announcement was made by APP president Brig (Retd) Jahangir Anklesaria while addressing the half-day West Zone B meet of the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) in Ahmedabad on July 28, 2013. A possible donor has been identified but Anklesaria told Parsiana he would disclose the details at a later stage. A watertight agreement to ensure compliance is being worked out.

Invitee FPZAI president and Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Dinshaw Mehta told the representatives of 14 anjumans gathered at the Sir Navroji Vakil Hall situated in the sylvan environs of the Parsi Sanatorium Compound that the BPP housing waiting list for newly married Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian couples has been cleared till May 2013.
But on the downside, the number of students applying to the BPP led consortium of trusts for education has reduced from around 70 to 80 a year to 39 last year to 22 this year. "We finished the interviews in three to four hours” while in the past the proceedings would last two days, explained Mehta. "We are a dying community.”
The meeting convened by zonal vice president Areez Khambatta was meant to discuss the problems of the 35 or so anjumans in Gujarat but digressed to other matters including differences between the office bearers causing FPZAI joint honorary secretary Pervez Mehta from Bardoli to remark that the meet "was like a regular Federation meeting. We are not discussing the West Zone B issues... Only the invitees are talking. Everyone should take part.”
The invitees included the FPZAI president and vice presidents Mancher Mubarakai of West Zone A and Tehmton Anklesaria of North Zone. Initially Khambatta had only invited BPP trustees Khojeste Mistree and Yazdi Desai who are also trustees of the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) of which Khambatta is founder chairman. This resulted in anjumans objecting that the duo did not represent West Zone B anjumans. A decision was then taken to invite the FPZAI president and all the vice presidents. There are no vice presidents for the south and east zones.
Khambatta also refused to invite Parsiana unless the publication gave an "assurance of fair and unbiased reporting.” Parsiana’s reply that "Our reports on the Federation meetings have always been objective. No anjuman has anything to fear except the publication of the truth or as close to it as one can possibly get,” cut no ice with the mercurial Khambatta. It was only the intervention of Dinshaw Mehta and Anklesaria that finally saw Parsiana represented at the meet with Khambatta extending hospitality.

Anticipating a certain degree of acrimony at the meet the former Brigadier had requested representatives to "Let the meeting be conducted in a spirit of brotherhood. I am sure we are all educated, civilized Zarthushtis who have gathered here for the well being and benefit of the community.” He urged the "elected representatives to work in unity...For God’s sake let us conduct the meeting in Ahmedabad… as an example of how all such meetings of Parsi Zoroastrians should be conducted.”
Khambatta termed Anklesaria’s words, "timely advice which we all must follow.” Welcoming the delegates, the former APP president stated this was the fourth zonal meet he was hosting, "the only vice president to do so.” Noting that West Zone B consisted of 35 anjumans representing "half the (Parsi) population,” he added, "We are neglected the most.” (Gujarat represents around 30 percent of the Parsi population in India — editors)
In a 20-minute, sometimes rambling speech Khambatta lamented that Rs 70,00,000 to Rs 80,00,000 were being spent on repairs and restoration of an agiary. The reference was to the agiary in Bardoli, once a WAPIZ stronghold, but now firmly in Dinshaw Mehta’s camp. "Do we need such luxuries?” he queried. He noted the "old-time akabars were very generous...today the BPP receives hardly any donations.” If people, however had "confidence in you that is how charity will be given” to your trust. Thirty years ago the APP did not have enough funds to pay their mobed. His salary used to be delayed several months. Today the trust had five crore rupees "cash in hand,” he said.
He then went on to attack Sorab Katpitia who heads the FPZAI’s defunct anjumans subcommittee. "Katpitia is given a blanket authority to do as deemed fit...both (sale) deeds have been done secretly,” claimed Khambatta referring to the proposed sale of property in Bhusaval and Dharwar. Katpitia denied the allegation.
Khambatta referred to the agiary repair scheme the FPZAI had initiated at his urging some years back. "I (and others) got five donors. Nothing moved further. I was the only man who had done something for 35 years (in the FPZAI). Unfortunately I was packed off,” a reference to his being ousted from the West Zone B vice presidency for the year 2012. He alleged the "Federation is a one man show,” a dig at his arch rival Dinshaw Mehta.
Khambatta then went on to attack Surat Parsi Panchayat (SPP) president Darayas Master who was removed from the post earlier this year by the Parsee Surat Charity Fund. The Fund reportedly has the power to appoint and remove trustees of the SPP. His ouster is now before the Gujarat High Court. Khambatta was interrupted by Udvada High Priest Dastur Khurshed Dastoor who pointed out that if he was going to criticize Master, he should also point out all the good that Master had done in Surat. Khambatta agreed to end his diatribe.
Dinshaw Mehta further noted the Surat matter was sub judice, "This is not the forum for this.” He added that he was aware of the barbs that Khambatta had directed at him regarding the greatness of the former akabars, and donations drying up due to an alleged loss of confidence, etc. Jahangir Anklesaria then suggested the discussion move to the "next point for the betterment of the community for which we have gathered.”
Under the FPZAI poverty alleviation scheme Rs 16,00,000 had been spent of which Rs 10,00,000 came from the BPP and six lakhs from Khambatta, stated Dinshaw Mehta. After the initial donations, "we have not received any other funds,” said Mehta. But the BPP "continued to distribute” monies. "Even if no donations come, we will go on.” Khambatta alleged he had never been told the position regarding the utilization of funds. He "was never given the accounts,” nor was he asked to contribute further.
Brig Anklesaria: "Please make anjumans aware how it is being utilized. Otherwise doubts will linger. Let everyone know.” Mehta explained the funds were distributed to individuals in various anjumans, naming the places. "The BPP has got funds. We are not asking anyone (to contribute). We are continuing (the scheme) with BPP funds.”
Khambatta inquired about the agiary adoption scheme set up by the FPZAI. "The BPP adopted the poverty amelioration scheme, not the agiary scheme,” replied Mehta. Anklesaria noted that the APP had taken a decision to assist agiaries even those "not in our zone...as much as we can. We try and look after each other.”
In response to a question on the contentious issue of proxies representing anjumans, Dinshaw Mehta replied, "At the last Federation meeting a subcommittee was set up” to look into the issue. "No further news” has been forthcoming. "We are awaiting the report.” Many small anjumans give their proxies to individuals who have no connection with the concerned anjuman and have little or no knowledge of its affairs. The proxies then disrupt the FPZAI meetings with their constant badgering on partisan issues.
Desai’s wife, Anahita, who is the chief executive officer of WAPIZ and who normally represents Jabalpur at the FPZAI meets but represented Badnera-Amravati at the 2012 meet, this time represented Khergam. In the last meet of the FPZAI in Bombay the compliant Khergam delegate Pervez Khergamwalla left the meet to enable his proxy, the voluble Tannaz Parakh, to speak.
To avoid such disruptions, the next executive council meeting of the FPZAI to be held in Ahmedabad on September 8 may be restricted to one day, the non-council members not being permitted to attend. Traditionally the executive council meetings were held over two days with all anjumans invited to attend. Khambatta argued the meeting should be held over two days as was the practice but Dinshaw Mehta countered stating two days were only required when the FPZAI annual general meeting had to be held on one day and the executive council the next day. The APP had been keen on a two-day meet but needed the FPZAI approval which was not forthcoming. The zonal meet was scheduled for a day but unexpectedly was curtailed to half a day.
Khambatta alleged the FPZAI was moving in the "wrong direction.” He lamented that though the West Zone B comprised 35 anjumans, the zone had only four seats on the executive council.
Farroakh Govadia representing Nargol along with Hoshang Wania noted the largest number of anjumans are in the Bombay-Ahmedabad belt. As a supplier of kathi to many of the agiaries in the stretch he pointed out the dismal conditions of these houses of worship. Many were without mobeds as they had no funds for salaries or firewood. Many anjumans had only two to 10 residing members. In Nargol there were 45 to 50, "all elderly…there are no new entrants.” In neighboring Saronda there were only two women residents. "After them who will do the agiary’s séva (looking after)?” In one taluka (district) there are four agiaries. "All four are suffering,” he noted. In Sanjan there is one family and an agiary that has no visitors. "Focus on these problems,” he urged the gathering.
Govadia’s pleas met with the stock reply, "Send a written request.” The Federation in the past has been notorious for not replying to letters or acting on their contents.
Ervad Yezdi Panthaki of Saronda observed that many agiaries had two keblas, the place where the consecrated fires are installed. This would enable the fire from another agiary to be accommodated.
Dastoor observed that "unless the agiary trustees do not think along these lines, nothing will happen.” The possibility of moving four fires under one roof was feasible but the trustees’ "egos” did not permit such obvious solutions. It was "kumnaseeb (unfortunate). Jid par bési gayaach (they are being obstinate).”
Dinshaw Mehta endorsed Dastoor’s stand stating that before one talked of shifting fires, "first talk of the trustees’ (obstinacy). Then we can solve the problem.” The BPP had faced an uphill task when trying to locate a fire for the Shapoorji Fakirji Jokhi Agiary in Godrej Baug. Worshippers objected to the fire being moved from the BPP’s Godavara Agiary which is not well frequented and the Doongaji Agiary in Bharuch spurned the offer due to differences amongst the trustees.
There are four agiaries in Bharuch amidst 140 Parsis. When Parsiana visited the Doongaji Agiary a few years back, the fire in the main atash was not visible but the dadgah fire was smoldering. One priest officiates between two agiaries, both of which have few worshippers.
Panthaki stated "agiaries have two problems, a lack of priests and a lack of worshippers.” Baman Cama of Baroda noted that agiaries were built for worshippers. We may solve the mobed problem but (what is the purpose) if worshippers are not there?…This is a serious problem.” Most if not all fire temples follow a policy of exclusion rather than inclusion. Valsad, for example, bars entry to Parsi women married to non-Parsis. Delhi permits such women and their progeny.
Marazban Wadia of Davier said that ownership flats have been constructed behind the agiary in Davier. This would ensure a Parsi presence in the vicinity. Sam Chothia of Valsad told Parsiana that ownership flats had been constructed opposite the agiary at Mota Parsiwad.
Wadia also noted the agiary had been renovated at an expense of nine lakh rupees thanks to a donation from the late philanthropist NarYman Dubash and not Rs 1,66,000 as erroneously mentioned in Parsiana ("Federation frontiers,” February 21, 2013).
Wadia, a WAPIZ sympathizer, also bemoaned the tenor at the FPZAI meetings observing that at one time "We looked forward to coming to the Federation meetings,” but no longer. "What is going on?” he inquired rhetorically.
Desai noted the meeting was "moving from one point to the other. No decisions are being taken — just discussions. We have not come here to hear problems. Everyone knows the problems. Let us decide how we want to improve (the agiary maintenance and adoption scheme). Let us conclude something today.” Nothing, however, was concluded.
To be continued