Salvaging the Congress

Billionaire philanthropist Dr Cyrus Poonawalla will chair the Organizing Committee (OC) of the Tenth World Zoroastrian Congress (10WZC) and industrialist-philanthropist-poet Dr Nadir Godrej will be vice chairman. Both are sponsors of the global meet. The decision was taken following a series of meetings over the November 30-December 1 weekend at Poonawalla’s palatial, Bombay residence. Any differences of opinion between the seven warring trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) who are hosting the December 27 to 30, 2013 meet in Bombay will be decided by the duo. The trustees will not participate in the ceremonial events such as the inauguration but may participate in the various sessions as speakers or chairpersons. All seven trustees reportedly signed the agreement. The new OC comprises Poonawalla, Godrej, the seven trustees and publisher Maneck Davar, according to reports.

Dr Cyrus Poonawalla (left) and Dr Nadir Godrej: at the helm

The decision follows the international outcry over an ill conceived decision by four of the BPP trustees on November 26 to cancel the once-in-four-year event
Over 1,000 delegates, many from overseas, had registered for the meet held after a span of four years. Penalties and forfeiture of deposits on airline tickets and hotel bookings would have added to the misery, not to mention the efforts and time invested by the invited speakers to prepare their papers. Former Delhi Parsi Anjuman president Dadi Mistry had convinced the President of India to inaugurate the meet which will also be graced by the Governor of Maharashtra. Mistry also elicited messages of goodwill from the All India Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and a message is expected from the Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh. Mistry informed Parsiana that Gandhi had written to two union cabinet ministers to ensure visas were issued to those Parsis born in Pakistan and residing there or elsewhere. He and his wife Nergish termed the latest developments "distressing.”
Across the globe Parsis and Zoroastrians had voiced their shock, outrage and dismay at the announcement cancelling the 10WZC. Most were aghast at the news and questioned how by a simple majority of four to three, the BPP trustees could renege on their commitment to host the Congress which was snatched from the Parsi Zoroastrian Association of Singapore (PZAS).
In response to the initial news of the Congress being cancelled and police charges being filed against the chairman of the BPP Dinshaw Mehta by four of his co-trustees — Yazdi Desai, Khojeste Mistree, Jimmy Mistry and Arnavaz Mistry — former PZAS president Rustom Ghadiali in an email addressed to his colleagues dated November 18, 2013 stated, "We will seriously have to think, whether we should continue to plan to hold the Congress 2017 in Singapore.” He referred to the "recent article on fraud by the BPP chairman (which) has left a very bad impression (with) the STB (Singapore Tourism Board) Bombay office…asking how we…are related to the BPP and will it have any effect on the Congress that we want to organize here.”
The decisive, December 1, two-hour meeting took place in two parts with four (Desai, Mistree, Jimmy Mistry and Arnavaz Mistry) of the seven trustees present along with Poonawalla, Nadir Godrej, environmentalist and art aficionado Pheroza Godrej, Tata Sons director Farrokh Kavarana, former BPP trustee Jamsheed Kanga, Tata director Homi Khusrokhan, Parsi Times proprietor and industrialist Kersi Randeria, businessman Pervez Damania, Herbertsons (part of Untied Breweries group) former managing director Sammy Lala and Arnavaz Mistry’s daughter Yasmin.

The remaining three trustees with Mehta’s son Viraf joined the meeting around 12.15 p.m. At one stage Mehta threatened to walk out but was persuaded to relent and accept the compromise solutions suggested. Changes in the Congress program are expected. Some speakers may not be acceptable to the four; others like Byram Avari of Karachi cancelled their bookings on hearing the Congress had been put off.
In an email to Parsiana Poonawalla had stated, "It is with deep regret that the whole community is upset about the infighting and consequent cancellation of the 10WZC. I still hope some via media solution can be found to keep the Congress going.” In a subsequent email dated November 28, 2013 addressed to the seven trustees, the Poona based industrialist noted, "In my view, the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress which is so close, must be held and not deferred or cancelled.
"I do recognize that the four trustees have bona fide reasons to feel aggrieved against the chairman. However, the chairman’s contention is that the allegations have not been proven and therefore, obviously, he cannot step down (this is the principle of natural justice which cannot be denied to him). This issue is a matter pertaining to the financial management of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet and technically has nothing to do with the management and running of the conference. Therefore, all decisions on the conference should be made independently.”
Jimmy Mistry responded on November 29 to Poonawalla referring to the charges against Mehta which "compelled” them to take the drastic action. "On November 27, 2013, we received an email from Maneck Davar, (a close friend of Dinshaw Mehta) in which he suggested that Dinshaw Mehta as well as two other trustees were willing to recuse themselves from the entire Congress, but wished to be present as speakers/panelists.
"We have deliberated further in the interests of the trust, community and the forthcoming Congress and have arrived at a decision which may meet your support.
"We, as the majority trustees, are willing to host the Congress as scheduled, if Dinshaw Mehta steps down as the chairman of the Congress and recuses himself totally from participating in all the activities of the Congress, including its present decision making process.
"If this is agreeable, the Congress can be put back on track without the image of the BPP being tarnished or sullied in any way and likewise none of our foreign participants will be inconvenienced whatsoever. We hope that you will see merit in what we have proposed.”
Prior to Poonawalla’s call for a "via media solution” numerous emails from across the globe voiced concern. An angry Dolly Dastoor, a former president of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) and currently editor of the FEZANA Journal, noted in an email dated November 26, 2013 to various Zoroastrian global leaders, "This is a world congress which was given to the BPP to host. It is not a BPP congress. Hence if the BPP cannot host it, we, the rest of the world should take over and host it with the help of competent people in Bombay.”
FEZANA president Katayun Kapadia emailed Mehta on November 26 noting the North American community had "invested time and money to come and participate.” Mobed Mehraban Firouzgary noted that in Iran conflicts "have remained within the anjuman’s four walls.” He termed the cancellation "shocking.” Founder FEZANA president Rohinton Rivetna in an email noted Mehta and other leaders of the Global Working Group (GWG) had decided the venue of the Congress. "The GWG comprising of regional heads needs to spring into action to salvage the situation…Somehow we need to make the Congress happen.”
When Congress honorary secretary Maneck Davar was asked about the charge of Mehta and him allegedly taking all the decisions, Davar lamented that the other trustees were not shouldering their share of the duties. Parsiana asked what made Mehta believe the other trustees would have assisted in the first place.
Why Arnavaz Mistry turned against Mehta is a puzzle. Till a month or so ago she sided with Mehta and Cama in most matters. Some allege that the others won her over by committing to endorse her candidature for chairmanship after Mehta is ousted or steps down in mid-2015. In an advertisement in the Jam-e-Jamshed Weekly of December 1, Arnavaz terms these allegations "blatantly false and malicious” and states she signed the police complaint against Mehta "because I honestly and sincerely believe (them) to be true.”
There are rumors she will not seek a second term but will make way for her daughter, Yasmin, to stand.
In an effort to broker piece, six ex-trustees of the BPP, Minoo Shroff, Kanga, Dadi Engineer, Dinshaw Tamboly, Maneck Engineer and Burjor Antia called for a joint meeting with the seven warring trustees. Arnavaz, Jimmy, Mistree and Desai reportedly replied a joint meting would serve little purpose and that the ex-trustees should first meet with the four.
Not much headway was made in the meeting on November 26 at The Chambers club at the Taj Mahal Hotel. The four appeared "bitter,” according to reports. When questioned as to their lack of attendance and late coming at the meetings, Desai and Jimmy Mistry reportedly replied that as Mehta and the three other trustees had a majority, they had little say in the management. Plus the timing of the trustees weekly meetings had been arbitrarily changed to 3 p.m. making it difficult for them to leave their work and attend.
Antia told Parsiana the cancellation of the Congress would have been "very unfortunate” and would "lower the image of the BPP and the community…there is no necessity to cancel...this is a golden opportunity to meet…why stop that? Lakhs of rupees have been spent.” He noted that since the four trustees had filed a police complaint and moved the Charity Commissioner’s office to remove Mehta, "they should have faith in (the process) and await the results.” The legal process would take five to 10 years to resolve, "in the meantime all the trustees should see the BPP goes on” and that the needy and poor are tended to. "There should be no policy paralysis.”
Around 90 lakh rupees have been spent on the Congress to date including placing deposits for the original venue of the Congress, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) and subsequently at the National Sports Club of India. There are conflicting reports on whether the NCPA deposit of around 30 lakh rupees has been refunded or not. This money would have to be repaid by the trustees personally, as Cama is reportedly adamant that funds earmarked for charity cannot be used for the Congress. The Congress income derives from sponsorship, advertising, delegate fees and stall rentals.
Now that the meet is to proceed, the trustees do not have that financial burden to bear. But they still have to work with one another. At the BPP meet on November 26, the four trustees reportedly requested police presence at the venue in the event of Mehta resorting to any physical violence. After the meeting the policemen reportedly asked Mehta for a token of appreciation!