The poverty criterion

On October 23, 2014, there was a front page report in a national newspaper pertaining to a case in the Bombay High Court (BHC) filed by Rohinton Taraporewala of Dahanu against the trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP). The plea was regarding allotment of an apartment to Taraporewala at B. S. Panthaki Baug in Andheri on grounds that he is suffering from blood pressure, diabetes, heart and prostate problems and his wife is in a stressed condition. Taraporewala claimed that because of these health issues he needed to relocate from Dahanu (where he owns acres of inherited property and resides in a palatial bungalow) in order to live near reputed hospitals. Taraporewala had earlier lost the case in a lower court and gone into appeal.
The two-judge BHC bench (including one Parsi Zoroastrian judge) denied Taraporewala’s plea on grounds that he owned huge properties and had an annual cash income of Rs 11 lakh, and thus did not qualify for subsidized cheap accommodation in a colony meant for the poor of the community, newly married couples and other persons who need a temporary roof over their heads while their homes are being renovated. The trustees of the BPP, in their statement, had mentioned that Taraporewala had an income of over Rs 90,000 a month and any Parsi earning that kind of monthly income cannot be categorized as poor and deserving of a charity flat.
The immediate reaction of readers (from any community) would be that the BPP trustees are crazy to make such a statement when they well know the official average income of Indians. To create the impression that Parsi Zoroastrians are indeed mentally lacking and that the community comprises mainly persons who earn huge salaries or incomes may well result in begetting envy and jealousy of the less well heeled.
I strongly recommend that the BPP trustees along with the fanatics belonging to WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis) stop making our internal community matters public thereby turning the entire educated community into a laughing stock. Exposing our internal strife in the national media serves no purpose when we have three Parsi publications that can keep us informed of community matters.
I urge all statesmen-like Parsis to step forward and oust these self-centered, self-promoting, trustees and do away with adult franchise. We need good people who are not enchanted by the possible profits from the properties, who wish to work for the betterment of the minuscule community and put us back on track to be re-recognized as an intelligent, apolitical, philanthropic, honest group of fun loving achievers. Perhaps, our other problems can be eliminated if, in time, we decide to identify ourselves as Zoroastrians and divorce ourselves from the additional and useless title of Parsi that is causing so much unrest and depleting our financial coffers.
JAMSHED IRANI
iranijams@yahoo.in

The Bombay High Court has agreed that a poor Parsi is one who earns up to Rs 90,000 per month. It is sad to read that people like Rohinton Taraporewala and others are filing such suits, thereby causing the community legal expenditure to defend itself.
We have a stellar record of charity both to our community members and to the nation. Let us look at our positive leadership values and our immense contributions to institution building.
PORUS DADABHOY
Chicago, USA
porusdad@gmail.com