Extortion at Doongerwadi
Since families pay for all the services at Doongerwadi, including tips, service charges of pall bearers and other dues, why such demands near a deceased person?
I am not against giving tips or payment of any type to the Doongerwadi staff, but the method used is wrong and must be strongly condemned, opposed and stopped.
A pallbearer seated outside a bungli at Doongerwadi
An advisory committee should be set up. Community members should be told to desist from encouraging such practices. They should only pay whatever is required. Khandhias or nassessalars who are guilty of such misdeeds should be warned, penalized, suspended, and if they persist, dismissed.
This matter must be thrashed out in 2016 whilst settling the Union’s demands. Dhunji Naterwalla, general secretary of the Mumbai Mazdoor Sabha, should implement discipline.
DR SYRUS DARVISH IRANI
syrus_irani@hotmail.com
Cawas Panthaki, chief executive officer of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, responds:
Time and again we have requested, advised and admonished the khandhias at Doongerwadi to desist from the highly undesirable practice of collecting money by placing a handkerchief near the head of the corpse after the sachkar.
As a matter of fact, we have advised the Union to prevail on the khandhias not to resort to this unfortunate, unhealthy practice which Irani has termed extortion. It is deplorable that the khandhias should thus exploit relatives of the deceased at a time when they are emotionally vulnerable. We have instructed the manager at Doongerwadi to implement the suggestions made by Irani.
Much as the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) desires to bring about change and improve the situation at Doongerwadi, it is caught in a bind where it is difficult to exercise discipline because of the threat of a strike by the Mumbai Mazdoor Sabha. This does not mean that the BPP is washing its hands off the matter. We will certainly emphasize this at the time of finalizing the wage settlement with the Union.
Dhunji Naterwalla, general secretary of the Mumbai Mazdoor Sabha, responds:
The Mumbai Mazdoor Sabha (MMS) had addressed a letter to the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) requesting the newly appointed trustees to commence negotiations in the long pending charter of demands which are required to be finalized on or before March 31, 2016, a condition agreed to by both the MMS and the BPP trustees at the time of signing the interim relief settlement.
I think it is very improper of the BPP to involve the public in labor issues and try to garner outside support. We do not tolerate acts of indiscipline and have taken extreme measures on many occasions to correct defaulting workmen who have been found to be on the wrong side of the law. We can quote umpteen examples of such action taken by us from time to time. Many concerns appreciate our gesture and send the defaulting parties to our office for appropriate reprimanding.
As far as the BPP chief executive officer Cawas Panthaki’s response is concerned, let me assure you that it is not to be taken as true and correct. We have never ever issued any threats to the BPP to go on strike on this issue.
We fail to understand why, if any person has been aggrieved by such an alleged act as mentioned by Irani, the BPP has not put up any notice at Doongerwadi to curb the practice. This clearly shows that no such alleged practice is being followed there and all this is being done to tarnish the image of the khandhias and the MMS so that we do not pursue our demands for revision in service conditions with the BPP.
This has happened in the past, and there is no stopping the BPP from using the same strategy once again to put the workmen and the MMS on the back foot at the time of discussions.