Foolhardy or faithful?

The rift continues to widen between the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustees over the decision of The Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) to intervene in the Calcutta agiary Originating Summons case. Calcutta residents Prochy Mehta and Sanaya Mehta Vyas are asking the Calcutta High Court who has the right of entry to the late Ervad Dhunjeebhoy Byramjee Mehta’s Zoroastrian Anjuman Atash Adaran.
In an acrimonious exchange of emails (the favored medium of discourse) BPP trustee Noshir Dadrawala has termed the all-India body’s action "foolhardy bravado” while BPP chairman and FPZAI president Yazdi Desai countered with a claim that Dadrawala changes his viewpoint "like a pendulum.”

Yazdi Desai (left) and Noshir Dadrawala: acrimonious email exchanges

Numerous exchanges followed an email by community activist Piroja Jokhi who on August 11, 2017 wrote "No donor will give the donation to fritter away their money on litigation.”
Referring to the proposal to fund the litigation through the proceeds of defunct anjuman properties, Jokhi noted, "The sale proceeds cannot be drained away on dubious litigation that brings no benefit to the community.” She suggested instead "to gift the property” of Dharwar cemetery lands for example "to the Dharwar municipality to be converted into a beautiful park, with trees, plants, fountain, benches and other amenities for senior citizens to relax and children to play. It will be a lasting memorial from the Parsi community who lived and prospered in Dharwar. Another option is to give the land to establish a hospital or a school. The trustees and others concerned should decide the best way to make use of this place, and get the blessings from the dear departed resting there in peace. In no way should the sale of this holy place be utilized to encourage and fund the unholy fighting in the community.”
Community activist Homi Dalal added his mite to Jokhi’s. On August 14 he wrote an email addressed to "Dear Humdins” where he stated, "If the office bearers of FZPAI want to engage in litigation in their imaginary endeavor to ‘protect and preserve’ the religion, they are free to do so but not at the cost of community’s charity corpus. There is something called an object clause in each such charity trust and the same cannot be overlooked/amended except with due process established by law…
"The proposed intervention in the litigation can at best be termed as parké paisé Diwali (enjoying Diwali at someone else’s expense).”
Concurring with Dalal, Dadrawala wrote on August 14, "In my opinion religious matters like these are highly sensitive and should not be taken to court. Courts take their own time and often refer such matters for arbitration instead of taking a stand…When one goes to court only the lawyers make money and the cosmopolitan newspapers make witty headlines (at the cost of our dignity).
"If the Federation or BPP really wishes to intervene, this is not the way to go about it. This is only foolhardy bravado in the name of saving the religion and community (both of which are quite capable of saving themselves if political elements stop meddling)…
"This is a wasteful expenditure and as secretary of the Federation and a trustee of the BPP, I hereby openly… wish to record my dissent.”
On August 20, Desai emailed Dadrawala: "One of the objectives of FPZAI at para 3 (iii) specifically provides that the FPZAI ‘safeguard the interest of Parsi Zoroastrians and anjumans of India.’ So as the president of FPZAI, I am mandated to protect the present definition of ‘Parsi’ and I am extremely disappointed that as the secretary of FPZAI, you fail to understand your mandate and the gravity of the issue…
"Are you expecting us to compromise on the very basic ethnicity of our Parsi community? Don’t forget that even the Government of India is keen for the ‘Parsis’ to thrive and grow by reproducing and not by adding children of non-Parsi fathers.
"In my opinion, the Parsi community has not voted for us as trustees of the Bombay ‘Parsi’ Punchayet to mess around with their Parsi ethnicity or sit and twiddle our thumbs while others do so. The high priests have already given their opinion on this issue, including Dastur Khurshed Dastoor and we can hardly expect the high priests to independently go to court and make a representation. We as the FPZAI are mandated and empowered to do so. And we will do so!
"I would be happy if you stopped criticizing the orthodox for what history will record as a successful attempt to save the Parsi race. Please remember that some time in the past you were also an orthodox! But like a pendulum you keep swaying to save your political career!”
On the same day Dadrawala replied, "Stop living in the past. Move on. I may have said something in the past and it takes courage to admit that I could have been wrong. There is no virtue in defending errors of the past. Virtue requires the courage to admit errors and righting the wrongs.
"Statesmanship requires the courage to accept flaws in the views held and decisions made and finding solutions through internal negotiations and mediation rather than wasteful confrontation.
"Rise to the occasion Yazdi... We are too small a community to afford divisions and acrimony.”