Engineer’s effervescence

Died: Dadi Bejonji Engineer, 83, erstwhile trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), president of the India chapter of the World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO) and senior partner of Crawford Bayley and Company; on May 30, 2016 in Bombay whilst battling blood cancer.
"The leit motif of his life was humor,” summed up Minoo Shroff, former chairman of the BPP that convened a condolence meeting at the Indian Merchants’ Chamber on June 17, 2016 in honor of Engineer who had served two terms as BPP trustee from 1995-2008. A solicitor who sought to "bring about amicable solutions to resolve differences, he rarely believed in going in for litigation on social and charitable matters.” He was "readily approachable,” affirmed Shroff.
As Engineer had stated in an interview with Parsiana on his reelection to his second term as BPP trustee in 2002 (see "A willingness to learn,” Parsiana, June 2002), "I have an open mind... I would always welcome a fair exchange of views with all members of the community.” During his BPP tenure he had chaired the legal committee and simultaneously worked on the religion, finance/resources, and youth affairs committees of the Punchayet.

Dadi Engineer after being elected BPP trustee in 1995

Former president of the Committee for Electoral Rights (subsequently renamed Committee for Economic Revival), Engineer and Indian Administrative Service officer Jamsheed Kanga had initiated the move for BPP electoral rights in 1980. He had declared after his first trusteeship victory (see "A practical stand,” Parsiana, July-August 1995), "I hate issues, I hate controversies. I intend to take a practical stand and try and solve problems… My motto is ‘Get along with the world.’”
Although he did not know Engineer personally, current BPP chairman Yazdi Desai stated that he would remember him "for two things: engaging sense of humor that always made us laugh, whatever the occasion; …world record for kissing the maximum number of women.”
Associated with Engineer for over 50 years and having worked with him as BPP trustee, Burjor Antia, senior partner of Mulla and Mulla and Craigie Blunt and Caroe stated, "Dadi put us on guard as the devil’s advocate,” when controversial issues had to be resolved by the Punchayet board. Although he took a keen interest to introduce electoral reforms, Engineer believed that "adult franchise has no place in the BPP.” The secret of his success, he had told Antia, lay in following his religion and traditions. He would pay daily visits to an agiary, either Vachaghandhy on Hughes Road, Karani at Cusrow Baug or Banaji Limji at Fort.
President of WZO – India for over 25 years and member of the international board of WZO, Engineer was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award at a function at Allbless Baug in February 2009 when then president of WZO-UK Darayus Motivala commended his "dynamism and statesmanship” as also his "skills, judgment and perseverance in guiding us through the good and turbulent times in our history.” Then WZO-UK chairman Sammy Bhiwandiwalla gave him credit for being "a shining example to the present generation on leadership, diplomacy and the highest level of professional achievement.”
"He was upright and forthright…A true Zoroastrian to the core, he had a tremendous faith in religion and religious matters,” revealed tax consultant Firoze Andhyarujina at the condolence meeting. According to him, Engineer was "orthodox, but (one who) stood for correct principles and went out of his way to help Zoroastrians and young Parsi lawyers.” Around the same time when he was to be made partner of Crawford Bayley he had received an inheritance of one crore rupees. Convinced by his father Bejonji, also an advocate, to give the amount to charity, he created a trust and used its income thereafter to extend cosmopolitan aid, mentioned Andhyarujina who would frequently share the podium with him after the budget when he would speak on direct tax and Engineer on indirect tax.

Photos: Sarosh Daruwalla

Describing Engineer as an "amazing personality,” legal luminary Rafique Dada who used to receive briefs from Engineer recalled the little notes on various aspects of law that would be put in his pocket to help him expound in court. He referred to the "who’s who of the corporate world” consulting Engineer on excise and taxation laws. Always willing to "hear the other point of view, he could disarm or charm his opponents… He took defeat in his stride. A man for all seasons, he was a role model for many of us,” continued Dada. Alluding to Engineer’s remarkable sense of humor, Dada recalled Engineer’s witty comment at the felicitation function organized for Dada when he took over as additional solicitor general: "Today is a great evening because we have both a Dada and Dadi on stage!”
"An ace lawyer who knew his subject inside out,” he would assign a matter to his junior and give him the confidence to pursue it independently with the assurance, "if you have a problem, come to me,” recalled Jimmy Pochkhanawalla who had earlier worked under Engineer. "He took pride when his protégés achieved greatness,” added Pochkhanawalla who was happy to receive Engineer’s praise when he was appointed a senior advocate. Once when Engineer overheard a heated discussion in his chambers, he walked in to calm his juniors with a recommendation "not to let off steam for it is an excisable commodity!” During his speeches the raconteur could "effortlessly merge wit, humor and content into his oration.”
Former Bombay police commissioner Julio Ribeiro who had frequently enjoyed the hospitality of Dadi and Silloo Engineer remembered the occasion when his family visited the solicitor’s office to prepare his last will. On the way home "my daughters were more interested in telling me what a lovely man he was rather than thanking their father,” he recalled.
Fond of traveling, the Engineers had seen most of the world and enjoyed relating their experiences: when traveling to Russia, a request from Dadi for a wheelchair when disembarking resulted in the ground staff arranging for a nurse and ambulance ready to ferry him to hospital!
Since his student days he was passionate about dramatics, elocution and debating and won several prizes, says Silloo. He is known to have come first in every grade during his school days at St Xavier’s, as related a schoolmate at the condolence meet. For two year he studied at St Xavier’s College and after his law education he completed his BA (Hons) from Siddharth College. Multitalented, he could sketch and caricature with ease, sing well and mimic associates at social gatherings. He could laugh at himself too. Immaculately dressed in a suit, replete with a handkerchief in his jacket pocket, at parties he was "the heart and soul…”
Before reading the condolence resolution, Godrej Dotivala, public relations officer at the Punchayet, acknowledged that Engineer "was primarily responsible for my joining the BPP.” "The multifaceted personality… was a director/chairman of a number of companies,” recorded the resolution. He was president of the All India Bank Depositors’ Association, Bombay Incorporated Law Society, vice president of the Forum of Free Enterprise, also associated with the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Associated Chambers of Commerce of India, Rotary Club, Freemasonry. The vote of thanks at the condolence meet was delivered by BPP chief executive officer Cawas Panthaki.
"Dadi was a perfectionist, at times exasperatingly so, but always pleasantly so,” conveyed Silloo, adding, "Many who helped him organize events related to his various activities would remember his meticulous clockwork list of duties assigned to each person. At the end of each successful event he would publicly applaud his team keeping himself in the background.”
The sociable solicitor is survived by his wife Silloo.