“Maintain the place of worship”
The dearth of mobeds to manage mofussil agiaries was discussed at the West Zone B Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India meet at Valsad
The Bilimora anjuman had paid for the navar ceremony of the priest and even his son. When Baria pleaded with the priest who had worked for 18 years with the anjuman to at least perform the muktad prayers before leaving, the mobed reportedly showed him the letter of appointment which specified a month’s notice only need be given, complained Baria. "We don’t have a mobed for our muktads,” he lamented. He termed the Nagpur action, "unethical.” (Parsiana contacted the Nagpur anjuman president Aspi Bapuna who explained they had a vacancy as the previous priest had asked for a salary of Rs 80,000 which the trust could not afford. Advertisements were placed in the newspapers. Of the three or four who applied, the Bilimora priest was found the most suitable and offered the job. That the muktads were approaching was purely coincidental, Bapuna said. He further added that according to the priest a notice period was not required but he stayed on for a month).
"This is not the right attitude of the mobed,” stated Udvada high priest Dastur Khurshed Dastoor. "You looked after him (kalji keedhi),” noted Dastoor. FPZAI honorary secretary Farrokh Rustomji spoke of a salary of Rs 1,00,000 (US $ 1,494) reportedly being offered by the agiary in Sri Lanka while Ervad Yezdi Panthaki of the Saronda anjuman mentioned a fire temple in Bombay offering Rs 80,000 (US $ 1,195).
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Entrance to Bilimora agiary with Marazban Baria
Representatives’ photos: Jimmy J. Vajifdar
Concluding prayers (left); lunch break
Brig Jahangir Anklesaria (Retd), president of the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat (APP) suggested trusts should specify a uniform minimum wage and the benefits to be given. If an anjuman does not have "the resources, let well-to-do anjumans take on the burden. It should be a collective responsibility.” If an anjuman had a problem of funds for kathi (fire wood), they could write to the APP for assistance, he offered.
Dastoor said it was acceptable to utilize the services of behdin pasbaans (lay priests tutored in basic duties of a priest). "I see no problem.” Marazban Wadia, president of the Davier anjuman, noted that after completing a course for lay people in priestly prayers and rituals, he had served at the Kanpur agiary. Two behdin pasbaans had succeeded him. Wadia now tends to the Davier agiary, performing three boi ceremonies every day since June 2016. "Why not make one trustee a behdin pasbaan?” in every anjuman, he queried. They could attend the mobed training course.
Bharuch anjuman trustee Eric Sethna noted that in his city due to the scarcity of priests, "one mobed performs 20 boi ceremonies” every day commuting between four agiaries.
But FPZAI president, Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman and the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) founder trustee Yazdi Desai said he was not in favor of appointing behdin pasbaans. "The entire foundation (of our religion) is based on a set of rules… If we allow (paramobeds) we are lowering the purity of our agiaries and atash behrams. We cannot break a system we have followed for 3,000 years... no amount of money will induce mobeds to make their children priests. Why does everyone want to become a BPP trustee? Because everyone respects a trustee. The priests do not get respect... amongst the Catholics, the priest is called to the house, made part of the household. What is needed is respect.” (Applause).
Dastoor emphasized that behdin pasbaans were not serving in the atash behrams. "They are not allowed.” But as far as adarians were concerned, where there was no one to perform the boi ceremony, the paramobed could do so and thereby "maintain the place of worship.” Panthaki noted, "The mobed is there hence the agiary is there. Otherwise no one would see” to the welfare of the agiaries.
Some of the delegates complained that all the mobeds are not receiving the Rs 10,000 subsidy from the BPP. Former BPP trustee Khojeste Mistree explained there was "not enough money to help all.” So the assistance would be given in phases. "We had to lay down some criteria. You need to be patient.” Mofussil mobeds who worked full-time as priests and held no secular employment earlier were being funded.
Desai referred to the "tremendous financial strain” the BPP has been going through the past two years and noted that the mobed scheme had not been scrapped but payments have been delayed. The Rs 10,000 (US $ 149) subsidy to select, full-time mobeds has not been paid since June 2015, but he assured delegates that by this October payments will be made.
Rustomji referred "to the great support in financial terms the BPP” gives to the FPZAI. "They are silent workers and silent supporters.”
Persi Buhariwala of Vyara Songadh suggested the money for the priest be sent to the respective anjumans for distribution. This way they could ensure that only the deserving mobeds received the assistance. Desai agreed to this proposal.
Panthaki referred to the one lakh rupees insurance scheme initiated by former BPP trustee and businessman Jimmy Mistry.
Desai referred to funds expected from industrialist and Wadia family scion Nusli Wadia to look after the mobeds. A trust for this purpose would "take over the responsibility for looking after the priests,” he stated.
Who benefits?
Desai noted no written objections had been received regarding the FPZAI custodianship agreement for dwindling anjumans. He stated 30% of any sale proceeds received will be utilized "for all original residents of the area.” The aid would "not be cash. We will give them help.”
Farokh Shaher of Gandevi said that their trust deed specified a trustee must be from Gandevi but a resident of Bombay. This would exclude the trustees being beneficiaries of any sale of property.
Buhariwala said "whether a person is staying or not, the benefit should be given.”
Rustomji urged the delegates "to have faith in us.” The Defunct Anjumans Committee which comprised vice presidents of all the zones and the trustees of the BPP would first decide issues and the decision would be ratified at the general meeting of the FPZAI. "You people will decide,” he emphasized.
Rustomji read out a letter from Ilav representative Pervin Jehangir who was abroad and could not attend the meet inquiring, "Why should 50% proceeds go to the Federation?” Rustomji responded, "I have already clarified. This is a policy decision.”
Buhariwala suggested that the money should be distributed only after the local anjuman issued a no objection certificate.
Dastoor told the representatives that the first priority was to put the land in the name of the anjuman rather than the trustees or individuals.
Desai explained that they had "not finalized the constitution as of now.” He had asked anjumans to write to the FPZAI…
At the start of the one-day meet West Zone B vice president and Valsad Parsi Anjuman president Sam Chothia who also heads the Defunct Anjumans Committee was applauded when he said Rs 1.25 crores (US $ 1,86,782) had been received from the Junagadh sale deed and the money was in an escrow account with Mulla and Mulla. This amount however had been received earlier when Sorab Katpitia was managing the defunct anjumans portfolio. Chothia made no mention of the status of the vast Tithal sanatorium beachfront land. At the Bombay meet on April 2 and 3, he had said a hearing was to take place at the Charity Commissioner’s office but he did not disclose what transpired at the hearing. Similarly there was no update on the aramgah land in Nanded which has been encroached upon nor the dakhma land in Khambat which reportedly was encroached and from which encroachments had been removed. The agiary building in Khambat has been reportedly demolished. Chothia said the previous trustees’ names continued on the records for both Nanded and Khambat. The issue of the Jhansi dharamshala in Uttar Pradesh is also not clear.
As regards Dharwar in Karnataka, a party interested in the property had deposited Rs 70 lakhs but due to the dispute between the earlier BPP board, no decision was taken on going through with the sale. The party has asked for the amount to be returned, which has not been done. Parsiana sent a text message to Chothia asking if the sale was going through, to which Chothia replied "No.” The deposit, however, is still with the BPP, he noted. Chothia inquired from Desai regarding interest due on the amount since 2010 and requested the money "be transferred to the Federation” from the BPP account.
Desai assured the gathering that the interest on the deposit could be given the "next week.” He reminded the delegates that "the BPP is the only sponsor of the FPZAI. All the expenses of the lawyers is spent by the BPP.”
Jamshed Dotivala, president of the Surat Parsi Panchayat (SPP), observed "each anjuman has its problems.” He noticed the problems of encroachment of land "almost every day in Gujarat.” It has been difficult "to repossess the land. From top, instructions are given but not followed at the bottom.” He noted in Surat 90% of the Parsis opt for dakhmenashini.
Dr Hosang Mogal of the Mahuva anjuman stated that the BPP higher education scholarships were not being given. He also stated that the postal stamp featuring scientist Homi Bhabha was to be discontinued. He noted "the stamps featuring Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were to be stopped but both of them were politicians. But why Bhabha? No objections have been raised by the community.”
Referring to a remark by Rajya Sabha member and former industrialist Anu Aga that Parsis did not require reservations, Mogal stated that there was poverty in the community. "Our students need reservations.” He noted that due to "reservations the adivasis have gone ahead.” Noshir Sabavala of the S. P. Garda College in Navsari noted that two seats have been reserved in the Walchand College of Engineering in Sangli. "How many people went?”
Rustomji said the Sangli seats were still available.
Anklesaria inquired if reserved seats could be exchanged between colleges.
Buhariwala inquired that when there was a shortage of funds why was "Rs 10 lakhs given to ZYNG (Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation)?” Desai defended the grant stating ZYNG had been going on for the last eight to 10 years and "needs to be continued.”
A suggestion was made that a WhatsApp group be formed of the West Zone B anjumans. Rustomji said such a group existed but when Parsiana inquired with some of the anjumans, it turned out that all were not included. Parsiana inquired from Chothia if all the anjumans were in the group and when it was started. Chothia replied "mostly” all, and the group was started "one-and-a-half years back.”
In conclusion, SPP trustee Yazdi Karanjia told the delegates that while presentation was important, intention was equally so.
Those present were: Brig Jahangir Anklesaria (Retd) from Ahmedabad; Pervez Mehta, Homi Pithawalla and Godrej Batliwala from Bardoli; Sarosh and Pilloo Ginwalla, M. A. Tadivala, Eric Sethna and Kaiyomard Kerawala from Bharuch; Marazban Baria, Coomi and Dhunjisha Avari from Bilimora; Vistasp Katrak, Dr Yazdi Italia and Rohinton Italia from Chikhli; Rohinton Merchant and Ardish Vapiwala from Daman-Vapi; Marazban Wadia from Davier; Nevil Vasania and Farokh Shaher from Gandevi; Hosi Bajina and Dr Hosang Mogal from Mahuva; Pervez Mandviwala, Darayes Gandhi, Firoz Jokhi and Yezdi Gandhi from Mandvi; Aspi Sui and Jal Patel from Pardi; Jehangir Cassud from Rajkot; Ervad Yezdi Panthaki and Sarosh Poonawalla from Saronda; Jamshed Dotivala and Yazdi Karanjia from Surat; Dara Jokhi, Cyrus Medhora and Adi Patel from Tavdi; Dastur Khurshed Dastoor from Udvada; Baman Cama from Vadodara; Sam Chothia, Jahabax Chinoy, Yazdi Laher, Aspi Sanjana, M. R. Marfatia, Jahabux Movdawala, Bomi Mehernosh and Jimmy Vajifdar from Valsad; Pesi Kasad and Darayas Mirja from Vansda; Keki Lakdavala from Vesu; Persi Buhariwala, Pervez Jokhi and Sarosh Buhariwala from Vyara; FPZAI president Yazdi Desai, honorary secretary Farrokh Rustomji and guest Khojeste Mistree. The Press was represented by Parsi Times and Parsiana.