Legal expenses by BPP
The unethical and hypocritical behavior of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustees (with perhaps two exceptions) must be countered and brought to a halt once and for all.
How long will they continue to degrade and dishonor the fundamental precept of ashoi (righteousness/truth) that is the core of the Zoroastrian religion? How much more disgrace can they foist on the grand institution that the BPP once was and on the once reputable Parsi/Irani community? How long will they continue to mislead and cause an avoidable schism in a once closely bonded, fun loving, peaceful and tolerant community?
And how much more [over the almost three crore rupees spent (half a million US dollars)] of the BPP funds — meant for charitable purposes specified in the trust deeds — will they spend on the case regarding the priests ban?
RUSTOM K. J. KHAMBATA
For a small community to waste money on lawyers and lawsuits instead of using arbitration or mediation within our own community is almost criminal. The many poor in our community could better use the funds that are being wasted. Besides washing dirty linen in public is another blow to our community.
MANECK BHUJWALA
Huntington, California, USA
mbhujwala@socal.rr.com
The huge sums of money spent by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustees on litigation relating to the priests ban has earned them the wrath of community members. Earlier, much had been written about the actions being taken by them "in the interest of the community” about the construction of flats at B. S. Panthaky Baug in Andheri, for which they were seeking more time. They also had plans for the demolition of buildings at Nowroz Baug and resettling the present tenants in larger ownership flats with limited monthly outgoings in the redeveloped colony. They would also have several hundred additional flats for sale in Nowroz Baug to Parsis only which would be snapped up eagerly as there are no poor Parsis and everyone is waiting to move to the Lalbaug area.
Supposedly the aviary project is still on the anvil despite innumerable objections in writing from members of the community, some of whom are qualified to advise in the matter. This is being pursued because it is in the best interests of the dead. Damn the living; they can take care of themselves. There has been no comment from the trustees about after death ceremonies in locations where there is no tower of silence. Do such souls remain in limbo or does our religion take into consideration the location and forgive the dead their trespass for dying where they could not avail of the correct disposal method?
Before the advent of adult franchise, for decades we had trustees who concentrated on doing what the trust deed demanded of them. They administered the trust properties and steered clear of matters over which they had no jurisdiction or mandate. The current set of trustees, elected foolishly by the herd instinct of pulav hungry voters, has been concentrating on everything outside their given mandate and behaving as if the properties and the monies are theirs to do with as they please.
The Parsi Press has been publishing letters and articles that portray, beyond reasonable doubt that the general members of the community, particularly the younger generation, would prefer a more realistic approach to matters.
We claim to be educated and enlightened. What we need to do is to get rid of these bigoted self-servers and return to the straight and narrow path which would guide us back to good thoughts leading to good deeds and thus receiving good words from one and all. JAMSHED IRANI
iranjams@yahoo.in