Low-down on the BPP

The tussle between the various factions of the BPP trustees has also affected the staff and their morale. On May 18, at 6.13 p.m. an email from the BPP Staff Association addressed to trustee Viraf Mehta stated, "The Committee members of the BPP Staff Association very humbly and sincerely solicit your cooperation and total support to have the morning jashan and evening function go uneventful. i.e. without any untoward incident.
"Hence we once again request you very sincerely to avoid participation of any of your family members. We really regret, for this request in view of the present situation.”
To which Mehta in an email the same day at 7.24 p.m. addressed to his "Colleague Trustees” alleged "Sadly, Yazdi is now using the staff to fight his own battles… I went across to ask Mahiyar (accounts assistant), as he is part of the BPP Staff Association, who had written and sent me this email... He told me that Yazdi insisted that he send me this…”
Desai responded to Viraf the same day at 8.12 p.m. "I am not using any staff to fight my battles… I am the only one in the Parsi community who has taken on your crooked father (former BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta) independently and exposed him thoroughly!
"After you sent your mail, I only told Mahiyar that if Dinshaw Mehta is coming then I will not be attending the jashan and the evening function as I have decided not to attend any function where your… father is invited. I left it to them. But I guess the team would rather have the BPP chairman than a crooked man at the function so they sent this email to you. In spite of their request, you can be shameless (as usual) and bring your Pappa along… I won’t be there.”
At 10.07 p.m. Viraf emailed Desai, "My father always took care of the staff and always stood up for them. They would be far happier spending time with him and reliving the glory days of the BPP instead of spending time with someone like you who has made the BPP a cesspool of politics and malice. I shall be attending both functions with my family next week.”
At 12.41 a.m. on May 19, Desai responded "Yeah, Viraf, I can understand how happy the staff was when your… father was the chairman…
"Your… father and CEO (chief executive officer) allowed any and every benefit to the Class IV workers to the complete detriment of the trust. It was one big happy family until I, Yazdi Desai, stepped in and thoroughly exposed your… father and put an end to all this nonsense in the BPP...
"And Viraf, when you write about ‘the glory days of the BPP’ I hope you are not referring to the time when four trustees resigned blaming your… father’s way of functioning… Yes. I don’t want someone who is trying his utmost to screw (for want of a more apt word) the BPP to be part of a thanksgiving, religious, happy occasion. No other ex-trustee is invited.”
On May 19, at 12.52 p.m. BPP trustee Noshir Dadrawala wrote to Desai, "I may not like Dinshaw Mehta but if he chooses to visit the BPP to meet the board or attend a function I don’t believe that we should be disrespectful. We are in India and as Indians our value is atithi daevo bhava... the guest is God.
"Remember the legend of Porus and Alexander.... ‘how would you like to be treated?’... ‘as one king would treat another.’ Now you will be quick to say that Mehta is no king. But I hope you get the idea…
"Bottom line:
1. Drop old baggage, it is weighing all of us down.
2. Stop name calling ... only when a person runs out of intellectual ammunition that he resorts to name calling.
3. As chairman set an example of graceful demeanor. You will dislike my saying this, but all the high-handedness that you accused Dinshaw of is being displayed and exercised by you. Maybe it has something to do with that cursed chair.
"Get your act together before it is too late. Neither that chair nor our life is forever. Be humble, be graceful.”

The issue of circulating the minutes of the meeting remains a contentious issue, despite filing consent terms setting a schedule for circulation.
On May 14, at 11.28 a.m. Viraf emailed Desai stating, "There are still minutes of meetings for the months of March and April 2018 that have not yet been circulated. As per the consent terms these need to be sent the Friday of the same week as the meeting.
"With no board meeting in place last few weeks, this should have already been done. Could you please send across all the minutes that are pending for our meetings.”
To which Desai replied the same day at 2.28 p.m. "You should not be complaining about minutes as you constantly ask for confirmation of minutes to be kept pending because you want to make some changes, most of which are unnecessary, in any case!”
Viraf replied the same day at 2.39 p.m. "I have not asked you for your opinion nor do I care for it. I have asked you to simply comply with the consent terms which you continue to blatantly disregard.
"Please read clause 3.7 of the consent terms: ‘For a proposed board meeting to be held on Tuesday the CEO/Dy (deputy) CEO… shall by the preceding Friday evening circulate to all trustees the draft agenda of the forthcoming meeting, as finalized by the chairman’…
"More so, I am entitled to defer the minutes or any item on the agenda until the next meeting if I required more time for that item. Please read the latter half of clause 3.7.
‘If any trustee/s requires more/additional time to consider/study any item of the circulated agenda, then on the request of such trustee, the said item shall be deferred and considered at the next meeting of the Trust and shall not be deferred further for any reason.’”
To which Desai replied at 4.37 p.m. "Your rubbish has been confined (consigned) to the dustbin where it belongs!”
Viraf responded the next day 3.59 a.m. "So from your mature reply, am I to understand that you are refusing to send the pending minutes of the BPP and the WCM (Wadia Committee of Management) as earlier agreed by you?”
Desai responded at 1.53 p.m. "Again consigned to dustbin!”
Mehta sent a "third reminder” by email on May 17, at 4.42 p.m., to which Desai replied "Ok.”

Garbage collection and disposal continues to fester in the BPP. It was initially suggested by BPP trustee Kersi Randeria that garbage from all the colonies be brought to a processing unit to be set up at Ambawadi. But several orthodox sections of the community opposed the move stating that Ambawadi was on sacred Doongerwadi grounds and garbage could not be placed and processed there. Viraf suggested instead the garbage be collected from each individual household and be disposed of by a contractor. The residents will have to pay Rs 200 extra every month for the service. Complaints have been received by the BPP alleging erratic service.
In an email dated May 14, addressed to Shehnaaz Khambatta, joint deputy CEO of the BPP, Parvez Driver, honorary secretary of the P.W.C. (Panthaki Baug Welfare Center) noted, "This is to bring to your notice that vehicle coming to collect wet waste is very much irregular. Yesterday also it did not come. We have to send waste through MMC (Mumbai Municipal Corporation). Saturday he came after three days and only three drums he took. The vehicle is so small that after collecting waste from Bharucha Baug, it has not much space to collect the waste of Panthaki Baug...”
On May 15, at 12.12 p.m. Khambatta forwarded Driver’s email to Viraf and other trustees noting that "other baugs/colonies such as Godrej Baug, Bharucha Baug, Khareghat Colony have similar concerns/complaints of time schedule, as well as irregularity in picking up the garbage. Request you to use your good offices and discuss the concern with the contractor.”
At 2.02 p.m. Desai commented "This is what happens when we allow mindless kids to be in charge of serious projects just so they want to get political mileage out of it. Under Viraf Mehta the Waste Collection Project has turned into GARBAGE! Kersi should have been encouraged to take charge without Viraf’s childish interference.”

Subsequent emails were exchanged between Viraf and Desai, some pertaining to photographs of Viraf taken years ago at a party where Mehta appears to be kissed by another man as well as allegations against Viraf’s "criminal daddy,” and on who loaned money to whom and who asked for the other’s assistance in fighting elections.
Viraf wrote on May 17, at 10.53 a.m. "There is so much more I could write about your lack of character, family values... But my upbringing has taught me not to stoop to your level. Sadly for you, your emails are a true reflection of your moral character. But there is a silver lining, you have fallen so low, the only place to go is up.”
Desai said in an email dated May 17, at 12.56 p.m. "The community is convinced that you are not fit to be a trustee especially after your LTBG (LGBTQ lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queers/questioning) affinities have been exposed, so please step down and there will be peace and pride in the community!...
"And yes, I am an orthodox person and not a religious person and I do not see any harm in admitting that fact to the whole world… I understand that with your education and upbringing from a red light area your comprehension would be very limited. But I can teach you.”

At the last keenly contested BPP trusteeship election in April 2016 between sitting trustee Armaity Tirandaz who won and former BPP trustee Arnavaz Mistry the trustees had approached the Bombay High Court (Justice Shahrukh Kathawalla) to appoint observers, which it did.
On May 14, at 2.05 a.m. Viraf emailed Randeria, "Over a month ago the board had agreed to follow the same process as we did in the last election and have High Court appointed observers for the upcoming elections in July 2018.
"At that time you said that you were going to speak to (lawyer) Yazdi Dandiwala (partner of Mulla and Mulla and Cragie, Blunt and Caroe) and revert to the board on whether it is legally possible to do so. It’s been over a month and yet no reply. Can you please appraise us on the status of this.”
Randeria replied the same day at 5.15 p.m.noting the trustees/administration were to speak to the lawyer and not him alone. "However I did speak to Mr (Yazdi) Dandiwala and he said it may not be possible to approach the Hon’ble High Court and simply ask for High Court appointed observers.
"In fact I believe that I mentioned this in a subsequent board meeting though I am not sure whether I did or not, to be honest. Maybe someone else from the Trust or the legal department should follow up with him as I am not in town? I know that I proposed this.... but surely the follow up can be done by the Trust?”
Viraf responded on the same day at 8.36 p.m. that Randeria had not apprised the board "Else I would have remembered and our minutes would have reflected the same.”
Randeria replied the same day at 10.05 p.m., "However we need to look at the minutes and verify the facts...... if that is ok with you?”
The next day Viraf replied at 1.22 a.m. "I would look into the minutes, but unfortunately our chairman seems hell bent on not forwarding them to us. Maybe he’s hiding something. Administration prepares the draft notes within days of a meeting, but instead of forwarding the same to the board, our chairman likes to hoard them.”