Property proposals and partnership
The Defunct Anjumans Committee intends to actively intervene to protect community assets as and when required
Under the Waqf Act, "the government is duty bound to throw out encroachers” but the community cannot sell the property. Hence, the pressure to maintain and utilize the property "is going to be humongous,” forewarned Brig Jahangir Anklesaria (retd), president of the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat.
The guidelines to effectively deal with properties of dwindling and defunct anjumans will be taken up for discussion at the next executive council meeting of the Federation as some members sought more time to discuss the document within their anjuman. "Fix a time limit of three months,” urged Tehmton Anklesaria, vice president of the North Zone, who mentioned that the Federation can ill afford procrastination when in the last 10 years "a lot of anjumans have become defunct… and they may die.”
The custodianship agreement that the Federation wants to promote to ensure that properties of dwindling anjumans are not usurped by individuals from within and outside the community will once again be circulated to all the members and finalized at the next meeting. Is there any way the Federation can become an official representative on the anjuman even if the anjuman does not sign the custodianship agreement? In response to this query by Baman Cama, president of the Vadodara Parsi Panchayat, the procedure to deal with a defunct anjuman (with 15 or less members) as incorporated in the guidelines was read out by Federation president Yazdi Desai: "If the dwindling/defunct anjuman decides not to enter into a custodianship agreement and is not cooperating with the Federation then the subcommittee should decide to take legal steps and frame a scheme for smooth and effective management of the Trust… in accordance with the provisions of the relevant Act prevailing in the state in which the anjuman is registered. By adopting this procedure the properties of the defunct anjuman will be vested in FPZAI.”
"Today many trustees want to usurp community properties,” stated Rustomji. "If they are trying to usurp, we can take them to court. Even an individual has a right to take him to court,” stated Jahangir Anklesaria. Rustomji cited the instance of Allahabad Anjuman which is now left with 10 Parsis and vast properties with one of its trustees reportedly insisting it is his "personal property.” The Defunct Anjumans Committee (DAC) of the Federation is "contemplating legal action, for after all community property cannot be usurped for personal gains.” Tehmton Anklesaria regretted that in many places, the people left behind in the anjuman are "incapable. They have no sense of how to maintain property.” It is very essential that the Federation gets its name registered on their land documents, he recommended.
Hoping to "instill confidence in the anjumans,” Desai stated, "Most anjumans have the impression that we want to take over their property. Let them call us and say ‘Why don’t you take over our property and protect it?’”
When it was learnt that the Federation has filed schemes for administration of 20 community properties, Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee Kersi Randeria sought to ascertain, "By filing a scheme, legally do you have a chance to get a stay order on a sale?” He then suggested that to monitor the status of defunct properties, it may be better to appoint "full-time paid people instead of depending on volunteers. The cost of the staff could be easily offset with the sale of one property.” He further emphasized that the scheme should carry names with the designations of the Federation office bearers so that "no individual becomes a part of the record.”
Pearl Tirandaz, Homiyar Sachinwalla and Jamsheed Master
Images in the ZYNG calendar
The 15-member DAC will have Rustomji as convener and will include Desai as the Federation president, the five vice presidents – Anklesaria, Mancher Mubarakai of West Zone A, Sam Chothia of West Zone B, Mani Clubwala of South Zone, Russi Jeejeebhoy of East Zone; BPP trustees Armaity Tirandaz, Noshir Dadrawala, Randeria, Zarir Bhathena, Viraf Mehta; Mistry as the Zoroastrian representative on the NMC; Indore Anjuman president Bomi Hirjee; and Manek Kalyaniwalla of Mulla and Mulla who will give legal assistance in lieu of Burjor Antia who had been rendering legal expertise.
"Chothia will be a permanent member, irrespective of whether he is the vice president or not. He is like a chief executive officer (CEO). He takes over from Sorab Katpitia,” mentioned Rustomji. "Have a specific term of three or five years for the CEO. The Federation should reserve the right to reappoint him,” suggested Tehmton Anklesaria. Supported Randeria, "Have a team of three, with two others working under him.” When Cama opined that "it may be difficult for the committee to work with all seven BPP trustees, and the number should be limited to two or three,” Rustomji felt it would be better to involve all the trustees so that each one of them is kept abreast of developments.
Rusi Dhabhar of Sholapur mentioned that "property records are not always available or up-to-date.” Assuming they are not available to an individual anjuman, they would be available to the government, insisted Randeria. But Pervin Jehangir of Illav likewise reported that "government records are not updated” and elaborated on how the anjuman shares that were meant to be in the safe custody of the State Bank of India were purportedly lost. It was only later that they found out that the shares had turned over three times and land documents were not properly maintained. "Any legal help would be most helpful,” she said, seeking the support of the Federation body.
When Yasmine Sanjana representing Bardoli suggested that instead of a lower limit of 15 members, only if the anjuman strength reduces to five should it classify as defunct, Rustomji responded, "We don’t want to wait till it comes down to five.”
The Federation is already encountering difficulties to assert community rights over a property in Khandwa where the last Parsi was a lady who had agricultural land. In Kudiana, the government wants to take over dakhma property despite the evidence that this property was not gifted by the government but by four Parsis as documented in the book Parsi Dharmasthalo. In Nanded, there are shops on the burial ground with a Gujarati man insisting that he is the owner of the property.
ZYNG and fizz
The organizing committee of 21 individuals planning different programs during the year "to forge personal and professional networking” among members of Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation (ZYNG) is now scouting "for fresh blood” to infuse new ideas. Tracing the growth of the BPP sponsored youth body since its inception seven years ago when a group of 40 like-minded individuals came together to provide a social platform for youngsters in the 18-40 age bracket, Pearl Tirandaz and Homiyar Sachinwalla gave an overview of ZYNG activities. Aimed at "reaching out to those not staying in baugs and colonies,” each of their activities is the responsibility of a core team of five/six members who constitute a subcommittee and need to raise sponsorship for that program be it Navroz ZYNG, telegames, treasure hunts, monsoon treks, paintball… "We have grown from 50 to 5,000,” they announced.
"ZYNG also does a lot of social service:” at the J. J. Hospital, Parukh Dharamshala and organizes donation drives. To dispel the rumor that "paisa khava andar aayaach (they have joined to pilfer money)” they undertook another drive where they asked for grains and essentials instead of money but the donors ultimately preferred to give cash instead of consumables. Dance therapy for senior citizens, anti-drugs campaign, ‘Special Stars’ program to help 120 differently abled individuals in the community, ‘adopt a ZYNG volunteer’ to assist the seniors with their errands are some of the other activities they have initiated. People in need of blood have contacted them and a missing person alert flashed in the middle of the night on their social media sites have resulted in a good response too, they stated.
"When we do religious activities like jashan or workshop on career paths, we have between 25-35 in attendance. When we have activities like mountain climbing and Navroz ZYNG we get 500 people. When you police kids, you have lost them right then and there,” observed ZYNG founder member Mehta. He also referred to their special grooming workshop for guys "because girls think ‘chhokrao haandaa thai gayaach (boys have become uncouth).’”
Their online portal ‘Being Cupid’ is popular with the ZYNG team endeavoring to match suitable partners and even sponsoring their first date but thereafter they don’t follow up to ensure whether their efforts have resulted in matrimony. With the BPP expending Rs 10 lakhs a year on ZYNG, totaling Rs 70 lakhs in the last seven years, Desai said, "My only reason for the BPP to support ZYNG is to facilitate the Parsi youth to get married. Now I am disappointed.” Clarified Pearl Tirandaz, "Where the traditional kaaj failed, ZYNG takes it forward.” Desai though insisted, "You should keep track. I am from the corporate world. If the results are not there…”
Explained Mehta, "No boy or girl wants to admit that they used institutional support to find a partner.” Maintained Desai, "Arnavaz Mistry’s matrimonial meets have resulted in 27 couples getting married and seven about to get married.” Countered Mehta, "You are comparing apples with oranges.” Different from Mistry’s get-togethers where, he alleged, 40 men and five women come, "Ours is a…most stylish operation.” The controversial ZYNG calendar depicting scantily clad, comely lads and lasses, Mehta asserted, was to indicate that "there are 12 hot boys and girls available in the community.” The calendar that was sold earlier in the year and distributed free of cost to every anjuman representative at the Federation meeting also includes the Zoroastrian mahs and rozs with an explanation on each. "How many of your children know the mahs and rozs with their meanings?” he demanded. The calendar further bears a message "Say no to drugs,” Mehta listed its plus points.
Tehmton Anklesaria, who described himself as "an ardent admirer of ZYNG,” having donated funds to the organization in the past, went on to express his disappointment with the ZYNG team for bringing out the calendar. "What is the message?” he questioned. "I am not going to take this calendar with me. I cannot show it to my daughter or daughter-in-law.” An optimistic Mehta suggested that his son and daughter-in-law may want to hang up the calendar even if he did not.
"When have you last seen a village in Gujarat?” asked one of the agitated anjuman representatives from West Zone B. Before the ZYNG members could respond, Randeria spoke up, "It is very important for the youth to have a platform to chill. But if you are unable to achieve after that, it has failed.” Recalling his first interaction with ZYNG and requisitioning their help with the clean-up operations at Bharucha Baug in Andheri, he stated, "I was told no one will come except five or six” from the organizing team. When this bunch tried to get some ZYNG members staying in Bharucha Baug to assist, the Baug residents declined and this led to a slanging match. "Let’s blame our generation. We have failed; we have not helped the youngsters,” admitted Randeria. In response to Desai’s concern that the expenditure on their activities should be justified, Randeria recommended that ZYNG play "a more proactive role… to create something of value.”
In the nearly 50 years of the functioning of the Federation, "there has been no initiative for the youth,” alleged Mehta, making Cama comment, "FOZYA (Federation of Zoroastrian Youth Associations) is the brainchild of FPZAI.” Appreciative of the youth participation in their activities, 25% of which are welfare related, Mehta continued, "We are not a matrimonial service. We are just saying there is a possibility of meeting Parsi mates.” He was hopeful of rectifying the errors of the preceding generation. "I am happy Viraf is so enthused… When I said our generation should take responsibility, it does not mean that we are idiots. We have to teach values to our youngsters,” Randeria tried to impress.
Bhathena who takes an interest in supporting the activities of ZOSTA (Zoroastrian Students Teachers Association) mentioned that over the years it is always the girls who walk away with a major chunk of the prizes for achievement in academics. Until the girls who are better educated are able to find a suitable match from within the community, "there can be no solution to intermarriage,” he was sanguine. He also wondered why "our boys are not moving into business?” and then proceeded to answer, "There is no fire in their belly.”
Driven by dynamism
"The BPP has empowered us to evolve… over and over again to give the youth the best,” observed Jamsheed Master in his brief presentation on the Holiday Programme for Youth (HPY) referring to their "dynamism in giving what is the need of the hour” to the teenagers. The Programme which is in its 30th year aims at "complete development” of students who have just given their school leaving examination and claims an alumni strength of 5,500 from India and abroad.
When Jahangir Anklesaria suggested that HPY should work towards expanding "the cocoon attitude of the Bombay youth for whom Bombay is the world,” and cited the instance of a south Bombay girl who declined a match from Thana, Master explained, "We give a platform to our youngsters to move out of Bombay” by introducing sessions like the one with Cmde Aspi Marker (retd) who gives them an overview of the armed forces and induces them to be adventurous.
On the subject of reservation of seats in community founded institutions in different parts of India which Bombay collegians refuse to avail of, Rustomji mentioned that although a list has been formulated "we still do not have a clear picture of the contribution of the community in each of these institutions” to enable the NCM to recommend reservation of seats.
Jahangir Anklesaria referred to the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College in Ahmedabad where he tried to study past records and correspondence but "nowhere is it mentioned about an endowment seat for Parsis in this College.” He was hopeful though that someone from the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Trust could give him some useful details.
The reports from different anjumans presented at the executive council meet will appear in the next issue of Parsiana.