“Brothers in alms”

"Brothers in alms” (Parsiana, February 21, 2014) was both interesting and thought provoking. At the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress in Bombay in December 2013, Dinshaw Tamboly, trustee of World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust Funds whose heart is larger than his size, came out with a few truths such as: "There is a growing segment of those seeking financial aid. One in eight families faces some kind of physical/mental/disability for which trust help is sought… Additionally the ‘reservation’ policy in India creates a very stressful situation for those seeking admission into good colleges in India.”
Even if one gets a job, promotions are based on the caste system and scheduled caste/scheduled tribe/other backward class persons supersede both seniority and merit in public sector banks and organizations while the Parsi leadership remains lethargic, even indifferent.
Tamboly suggests that various trust funds should come together and synchronize activities. That is just not possible as many an ego will be bruised. Many if not all trustees are for kom na méva (goodies from the community) in the name of kom ni séva (service to the community).
Solicitor and columnist Berjis Desai showed the palav daar Parsis their mirror image. His blunt and outspoken views should make all bawas, particularly trustees of various funds, bow their heads in shame. He rightly said our forefathers had donated sums with only the poor in mind, but now any bawa whose monthly income is Rs 90,000 is deemed to be poor! Certainly, our philanthropy management itself is suffering as many of those who become trustees lack caliber. Trusteeship has become not merely a status symbol but an inheritance and personal fiefdom. Not only is accountability low, but criticism invites fierce retribution with vengeance and vindictiveness.
According to Desai, the role of a trustee is to govern and provide leadership. How would that be possible when there is hardly any interaction between the mighty akabars and the aam (common) bawas? Vacancies on the boards of trustees are filled by family and friends of the sitting trustees. Why not? Masi no ké fui no, mama no ké kaka no, ghér no ghambhar kon no (it’s a family affair)?
Democracy is the worst form of government when compared with itself. So instead of trustees being foisted on the bawas with nepotism, an election is a better option. No doubt there is a flip side. Instead of gentlemanly trustees we have populist trustees, and party politics. But then power is the ultimate goal. So after capturing anjumans/federations, the final bastion of power is the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), the self-appointed apex body of the bawas of the world. Once that is achieved, supremacy is assured and one can rule the roost.
Desai laments that few trusts are able to win the confidence of donors and many don’t have a succession plan. They reason, where is the need for such a plan when one can fill the vacancy with family and friends?
Further, the BPP refuses to transfer rent receipts in the names of tenants who are married out of the community and will sue and evict them. But if they don’t do this how can they get pugree/pheta/topi? Already there is a suspense drama being enacted before the Charity Commissioner and police and nobody knows whether the sum at issue is Rs 45 or Rs 65 lakhs.
Desai’s summing up is excellent. Shrinking beneficiaries (with which BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta disagrees; hence the scheme to build towers in baugs), inept trustees and soaring property values is a heady cocktail for land grabbers. So what is the option? Since the trustees cannot resolve their personal problems (a trust being treated as their personal property) it is better for the Charity Commissioner to appoint an administrator who will be accountable to some authority so that bawas wake up from their lethargy and indifference.
The bottom line of all this khadhoo, peedhoo, bukbuk keedhoo (ate, drank, made speeches) is to go home and meet again in Singapore at the next World Zoroastrian Congress. No solutions were found or arrived at during the Bombay Congress. BEHRAM AGA
behram_r_aga@yahoo.co.in