Comments by Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy and former Bombay Parsi Punchayet trustee Noshir Dadrawala on mediation settlement

As per the terms of the agreement, the two priests Ervads Framroze Mirza and Khushroo Madon will now only be allowed to perform the last rites of immediate family members at Doongerwadi and the two fire temples if they sign an affidavit to that effect. However, other members of the community are free to choose any ordained priest without interference from the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustees.

After blowing up over three crore rupees is this what we, as a community, get? It's appalling, to say the least.

Homi Khusrokhan is reported to have stated: "We wanted the judge to rule that the Punchayet doesn't have any religious powers and that is what we have been able to achieve. The net result is no further bans, any priest can pray and it is the right of any beneficiary of the trust to choose a priest of his or her choice.”

Really?!

Then under what religious, cultural, social, economic or administrative authority does the BPP get the right to single out the two so-called "renegade” priests and draw the authority that these two "will only be allowed to perform the last rites of immediate family members at Doongerwadi and fire temples.”

I am no advocate for these two priests. In fact I hardly know them. However, isn't it a contradiction that on one hand the BPP has no religious rights to ban any priest; however, it has the right to selectively ban these two priests from performing the last rites of any Parsis other than immediate family members at the Doongerwadi and two fire temples and must sign an affidavit to that effect. Wow … what a settlement! Where is our once famous Parsi sense of justice and equiity -- one rule for all and all rules for one?

In my humble opinion, waste of time and money apart, justice has neither been done nor seen to have been done.

This settlement has been a "face saving” gimmick by those in power, a waste of charity funds and is highly discriminatory. I repeat, I have no love lost for the two priests. It's just the principle.

It is not an "amicable settlement” it is a "discriminating settlement.”

This is not a time to celebrate. It is a time to hang our heads in shame!

Noshir H. Dadrawala