Gagging Goolrookh Gupta

"As of now only two days are left for the World Congress meet and there is no response from your part, I think it is most appropriate to withdraw my membership from (the) World Congress to avoid any type of inconvenience to any party. I hope you will understand that … I have no choice but to withdraw and therefore, if possible, would appreciate a refund of the registration already paid by me,” wrote Sam Chothia, managing trustee of the Bulsar Parsi Anjuman Trust Funds (BPATF) to the chairman and trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) on December 25, 2013. He was referring to his earlier letter of December 7, 2013, requesting that the matter of Goolrookh Gupta not be discussed at the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress (10WZC) held in Bombay from December 27 to 30, 2013.

Goolrookh Gupta: no discussion

Chothia wrote: "…we have not yet received your reply. We have received (a) letter from trustee Muncherji Cama voicing his personal opinion on the same matter (which is) not acceptable to us, as (the) issue of inter-married Parsi Zoroastrian women’s right itself is sub judice and (the) Supreme Court has not given (a) stay on the Gujarat High Court order.” Chothia ended by wishing the 10WZC success on behalf of the BPATF.
Gupta, a former Valsad resident, is challenging a bar on entry to the local fire temple and doongerwadi applicable to Parsi women married to non-Parsis under the Special marriage Act (SMA) 1954, despite their continuing to profess the Zoroastrian faith. Two judges of a three-member bench in the Gujarat High Court ruled that a woman married under the SMA assumes the religion of her husband. Gupta subsequently moved the Supreme Court, where the next hearing has been scheduled for February 13, 2014.
Chothia’s first letter, sent during the lead up to the 10WZC had requested that "Neha (Goolrookh) Gupta’s issue and relevant issue is not discussed in the forthcoming 10WZC… As the matter is sub judice it will be best that it reaches its logical conclusion through the judicial process… Since (the) last few days (Gupta) has been trying to influence and misguide people by giving interviews to (the) print media and also took the issue to (the) electronic media.” Gupta had participated in a program anchored by television journalist Barkha Dutt in the NDTV news channel along with other personalities and members of the audience.
"We hope that you will consider our request and see that there is no discussion on the issue which may prejudice and misguide (the) judicial process,” Chothia had concluded.
The only trustee of the BPP to respond, Cama wrote to Chothia on December 17, 2013: "Your letter is on the agenda of the board meeting of the BPP scheduled for later in the day, today.
"Quite frankly, personally speaking, the idea of a World Zoroastrian Congress is to discuss burning issues before the community and I personally would not like to throttle anybody’s right to raise any issue — which should not be construed that I am in favor of supporting Ms Gupta. Again, personally speaking, I cannot agree to your request to see that there is no discussion on an issue which deals with the rights of both Parsi Iranian Zoroastrian ladies married to non-Parsi Iranian Zoroastrians, or the newly conferred rights in Gujarat albeit stayed by the Supreme Court, on the rights of non-Parsi Iranian Zoroastrian ladies married to Parsi Iranian Zoroastrians.”
As things turned out, the 10WZC fought shy of discussing any controversial issues, and Gupta’s concerns were not addressed.
Parsiana sent text messages to the BPP trustees seeking their views on BPAFT’s "request.” Cama sent a copy of the letter he had shot off to Chothia. Trustee Yazdi Desai promptly sent a text message in reply: "Definitely no discussion of Goolrookh Gupta case should take place at the Congress. The matter is sub judice.” BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta responded the same day stating "specifically Goolrookh Gupta’s (case) being sub judice (discussion) should be avoided but discussion on general principles of the issue has to be allowed and cannot be throttled.” No replies were received from BPP trustees Arnavaz Mistry, Jimmy Mistry, Khojeste Mistree or Armaity Tirandaz.