Elusive or evasive?
The cover story for this issue of Parsiana was supposed to be an interview with the new Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Yazdi Desai. On Monday morning October 26, 2015 we sent him a text message stating, "We would like to interview you for Parsiana on your election victory, being nominated chairman of the BPP and your plans for the august body. When would be a convenient day and time?" Less than an hour later Desai replied: "Would prefer Saturday post lunch if okay." We replied, "Certainly. What time and where?" to which we received no reply.
Our pages were to go to the press on Friday, October 30 but we deferred that till Monday, November 2 as we presumed we would interview Desai on Saturday, write the interview on Sunday and send the pages to the press the following day. We even decided which article we would hold out to accommodate the latest story, and designed a new cover.
Assuming that he had a busy schedule during the week (he was 25 minutes late for his first Tuesday board meeting as chairman and in the past habitually arrived late or missed meetings), we waited till Friday when we thought his plans for the next day would have crystalized and messaged him: "Could you revert on the time and venue for tomorrow’s post lunch interview?" He replied, "Can I pls let you know tom noon as it depends on when my morning meeting is likely to end…" We replied, "Certainly," to which he texted "Thanks."
By Saturday afternoon when we did not hear from him we sent him a message inquiring, "Time? Venue?" to which he replied at 3.49 p.m., "Sorry I am still in meeting." We replied, "Ok. Tell (us) when over. (We’ll) come. (Are) free." We had kept the day free to accommodate him. At 5.36 p.m. we texted again stating, "Please message and phone in case (we) miss message." There was no reply. At 6.47 p.m. we sent another text, "Still waiting," to which he replied three minutes later stating, "So sorry…today seems difficult. May I pls call u tom to set up another time. Truly sorry…" to which we replied, "Surely," and he texted, "Many thanks." The next day there was no call.
Parsiana has dealt with many chairpersons of the BPP in the past but has never encountered an experience such as this. In 2008 both Desai and his fellow World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) trustee Khojeste Mistree, after being elected to the BPP, refused Parsiana an interview. When WAPIZ was formed in 2005 the Parsi Press which at that time comprised The Bombay Samachar, Jam-e-Jamshed and Parsiana were not invited to a Press conference called by WAPIZ nor extended an invitation to the grand inaugural function and dinner at the Turf Club. These were straightforward rebuffs but as there was no love lost between the parties, nobody was perturbed by the snub. We were spared having to spend an evening working and then reporting on the event. Nevertheless we carried a front page story on WAPIZ with photographs of the seven founding trustees.
When Desai’s wife Anahita contested in 2011 against Muncherji Cama, she too refused to give Parsiana an interview. When Yazdi contested this October we sent him the same questionnaire we sent to the 25 candidates who were initially contesting the elections (two subsequently withdrew). Those who did not respond were sent the questionnaire a second time. If there was still no acknowledgement, we phoned and messaged. As Yazdi often does not respond, we sometimes send a text message or call Anahita. Yazdi replied that as the question required a "Yes," "No," or "Can’t say" reply he did not feel the answers would adequately reflect his point of view, and so declined. This limitation had not deterred 20 others from answering, adding supplementary explanations which were published (see "‘Pointed’ but pertinent questions," Parsiana, October 7, 2015).
At the changing of the guard ceremony on October 23 when the new trustees took over from the old board and Desai was named chairman, Parsiana was among the first to congratulate him. We wanted to start the new chapter on a positive note. In recent years the Desais have been cordial in their relations with Parsiana.
So the interview episode referred to above is puzzling. Was Yazdi avoiding answering the questions because he did not want to antagonize one group or the other? Or was he determined not to give Parsiana an interview? If he was hard pressed for time on account of his professional commitments he could have requested the interview be put off for later. But then of course there are many pressing community issues on which his views need to be known. As it is the BPP’s functioning is shrouded in secrecy and the interview would have provided an opportunity to shed some light on the trust’s workings.
Whatever be the reason, his response is disturbing and does not portend well. Yazdi has to decide what he wants or does not want to do and be forthright about it. His co-trustees and the community cannot keep second guessing his motives. He is no longer a trustee fighting former BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta, dragging his opponent and the community into the muck. During Yazdi’s vigorous election campaign, he urged voters not to tarnish him with the same brush as they did his then co-trustees. He pointed out he was standing up against Mehta instead of turning tail and running away.
But which demon is he fighting now? Surely not Parsiana. There are more pressing and important issues to take on. While the community still has faith in the new board, the chairman has to capitalize on the prevailing goodwill, not squander it with quixotic behavior.