BPP: Indecent slugfest
When the BPP trustees are engaged in an indecent slugfest among themselves, each faction unhesitatingly washes dirty linen in public. But when they arrive at "an amicable settlement” that serves their own purpose, without disclosing the crucial points settled upon, they jointly issue a signed press note offering unsolicited advice that now we should maintain the decorum that they never displayed! It’s time all five tricksters are given NOTA (none of the above) in the elections, whenever they are held.
PHIROZE B. JAVERI
phiroze.javeri@gmail.com
We Parsis love our bhonu. When it comes to food, just the thought of dhansak, sali marghi and patra ni machhi activates our salivary glands. So, when I heard that two Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustees had gone on hunger strike at the Fort office, I was stunned!
The BPP is a charitable trust that is over 340 years old. It is Bombay’s largest, oldest and richest private landlord. The trust is run by a board of trustees who take decisions on property, financial and community matters. The beneficiaries of the BPP are members of the Parsi community who vote the trustees into office at periodically held elections.
Becoming trustees places these women and men in a position of power. This power leads to hunger…but not hunger for bhonu! Instead, there seems to be a hunger for acrimonious quarrels, ego and one-upmanship. The outcome of this has been a continuous drama of name calling, mudslinging and rivalry. Each competes to see who has the loudest voice. For several years now the Punchayet has been plagued by infighting, physical and verbal abuse, allegations of corruption, indecisive meetings and legal battles. It is now a bruised and wrecked body with inefficient resolution of issues and incessant delays in providing much needed stimuli to the Parsi community.
Sadly, the BPP is a shameful example of how hunger for power often takes over those who are elected for the betterment of a community. The hunger strike was in protest against a majority decision to postpone elections to October 2022, but I, along with many of my fellow Parsis, realize that such behavior of both the hungry as well as the satiated trustees was utterly ridiculous. We need a radical change.
If only the BPP could be run like an organization under the Companies Act 2013! Instead of a trust deed, it would need to have a memorandum of association and an article of association as its documents of constitution. Instead of being governed by the Charity Commissioner it would be governed by the Registrar of Companies. But most importantly, it would be professionally managed by a chief executive officer, managing director and a board of directors. Not by trustees. Such organizations do exist and are called Section 8 companies. Existing registered trusts can be converted to Section 8 companies, according to the Institute of the Company Secretaries of India. Such companies are highly transparent entities and are required to comply with disclosure and filing of their financial statements and other regulatory documents, hold regular annual general meetings, and even have penalties for officers who engage in wrongdoing and corruption.
Conversion of the BPP for betterment of the community may be a task, but this is some "food” for thought.
ZAHIRAB WADIA
zahirabwadia@gmail.com
The Parsi Charity Trust Baugs were built out of Donations for the Poor. Is it Right to Auction these flats to Rich. Is BPP for Rich or Poor. All Trustees must Resign. They have selfish interest at heart nothing beyond.