Not just play...

"Every year The Nowroze Baug Play Centre publishes the annual report and audited accounts with other particulars and information… because (it) firmly believes in accountability and transparency in all its dealings, which I trust and pray that the coming generation will continue. After our annual general body meeting of 2012-2013, we have decided to issue a booklet detailing our activities, donors, well-wishers…,” writes president emeritus Nariman E. Mehta in his introductory message. The Play Centre has 1,620 members.
The audited accounts are there for all to scrutinize as is the list of donations received. Prize winners for academic excellence and sports activities have been mentioned as have those who received merit scholarships. Drawing, handicraft and handwriting competitions were held for children aged from six years onward. At the 66th annual cultural program, a play, Ghar Ghungro ne Ghotalo by Yazdi Karanjia and his troupe from Surat was staged as a fund raiser. Trips were organized to Bordi and Thailand, which were greatly appreciated and enjoyed. Details of medical assistance rendered are available in the booklet, as are conservation efforts such as collection drives for tins, cans, bottles and newspapers.

Centenary celebrations at Nowroz Baug, circa 2008

The comprehensive booklet covers all the activities of the Play Centre during the preceding year, including homage to "five of our selfless, devoted members who passed away during 2012-13” along with tributes to them. They are Khorshed Jimmy Billimoria, Eruchshaw B. Hathiram, Perviz Feroze Elavia, Ervad Noshir Ardeshir Sidhwa and Eruch Darabshaw Bharucha. In the In Memoriam section the names of all the residents of the Baug who passed away during the period are listed.
The booklet, printed in easily readable type on ordinary paper, contains photographs, tables and text, and will serve as a ready record of the Play Centre’s activities during the previous year.
Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Dinshaw Mehta’s remarks that redevelopment plans for Nowroz Baug are being delayed due to noncooperation from the residents (BPP Review, August 2013) have prompted a heated and detailed response from Keki Mehta and Adi Doctor, president and vice president respectively of The Nowroz Baug Residents’ Redevelopment Committee (NBRRC), which was published in Parsi Times (PT) on September 14, 2013. The NBRRC has vehemently denied the charge, terming it "factually incorrect” and an attempt to portray the residents of Nowroz Baug as greedy, in order for the BPP to garner sympathy from the community.
The NBRRC wrote that Dinshaw Mehta had publicly declared that a proposal would be sent to the residents within two days of the meeting on March 24, 2013 and, if agreeable, a signed irrevocable consent letter was expected from the residents within15 days. However, since April 2013 the NBRRC has written three letters of reminder to the BPP to send their proposal in writing, as well as sought a meeting with the trustees, but failed to elicit a response to or acknowledgement of these letters. Even after five months the residents have not received anything in writing with regard to the redevelopment proposal, so how can they be termed guilty of not extending their cooperation to the BPP?