With the Poona Parsi Panchayat unanimously endorsing the "Memorandum of Disagreement” (see "World body stymied,” Parsiana, January 2005) and more anjumans likely to follow suit, the chances of the proposed world body being formed are as likely as that of the vultures returning to doongerwadi.
The Memorandum petitions, amongst other things, that the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) not join the world body unless membership is by race and religion and not religion alone. In other words, only those associations whose membership consists of Parsi and Irani Zoroastrians would be eligible to membership of the proposed global alliance. This would bar from membership the World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO), nearly all the Zoroastrian associations in North America as well as the Delhi Parsi Anjuman.
The question now arises as to what stand the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) should take on joining the world body. The BPP can opt to stall the issue by not putting the subject to vote at the next Federation meeting in Bombay in early June this year. This would save the trustees considerable embarrassment before their coreligionists at the Eighth World Zoroastrian Congress to be held end June in London. The Federation of the Zoroastrian Associations of North America, the Iran anjuman and the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe have reportedly accepted the proposal of a tripartite world body of individuals and associations under a joint umbrella in principle, subject to the Indian Federation and the BPP’s approval. The WZO has agreed to amend its constitution to accommodate the new world body’s requirements.
But it is possible the opposing Indian anjumans may insist the Federation secretariat place the item on the agenda for the early June Federation meet in Bombay.
Or the BPP can decide to join the world body irrespective of the Federation’s vote. But this is also doubtful because BPP trustee Dinshaw Mehta also favors the Parsi Zoroastrians only clause for the leadership of the world body. Mehta may have the support of some of the other trustees as well.
The opposition camp may also whip up public frenzy in Bombay should BPP chairman Minoo Shroff and BPP trustee Dinshaw Tamboly press ahead with membership in the world body. Shroff and Tamboly are the main protagonists for the proposed world body.
The BPP leadership unfortunately has done little to keep the community and the individual anjumans informed of the developments pertaining to the world body. Aside from a few letters in the Press explaining their stand, they have not held any public meetings to inform the community of the merits of their case. Hence most of the information on the world body has been conveyed by those who oppose the formation of the organization.
Mistree launched his major broadside against the proposed International Zoroastrian Organisation (IZO) at the Framjee Cawasjee Institute Hall on October 21, 2004 (see "Don’t create a monster,” Parsiana, November 2004). The High Priests also joined the chorus describing the world body as "unacceptable (and) a threat to our survival.” Prior to that in November 2003 at a meeting convened by The Parsee Voice a resolution was passed urging the BPP and the Federation not to join the world body (see "The conservative voice,” Parsiana, February 2004).
After the tumultuous Federation meeting in Ahmedabad in December 2004 where the orthodox stand received the support of several anjumans (see "World body stymied,”) the battle lines were drawn. The orthodox anjumans’ misgivings about the world body crystallized into talk of forming a parallel federation and world body. This new avatar would be restricted to only those associations whose members constitute Parsi and Irani Zoroastrians.
Mistree’s and the Bombay orthodox lobby’s crusade against the world body snowballed to include Areez Khambatta, the voluble president of the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat who has offered to bankroll the new organizations and Jamshed Mohta of Bardoli, amongst others.
Mohta has become a voracious opponent of the IZO. His anjuman, small as it may be, hosted a half day meeting in Bardoli on February 27, where around 1,000 people mainly from the surrounding cities and towns attended to hear Mistree’s arguments against joining the IZO. Khambatta also spoke on entrepreneurship at the function.
Cursetjee (left) and Mohta: taking the lead
(Parsiana was unable to attend the Bardoli meet as we were pressured with the publication of this March issue. Also due to our limited personnel and financial resources we do not cover most out-of-town events aside from the Federation meetings. We had written and explained the position to the anjuman and had, therefore, asked for copies of speeches, photographs, etc. We were promised the matter by 7th March but on 5th March we were told our request was turned down. Mohta stated the Parsi Press had not attended the meet and that they had mocked Bardoli and the other anjumans that were against the world body. He spoke of his anguish over the BPP and the Press not realizing the mood of the common person and their opposition to the proposed world body. He however relented and agreed to send Parsiana a CD of the event. Subsequently Mohta once again refused as the concerned committee objected.
Is the battle for the IZO then lost? Perhaps the BPP leaders can draw a lesson from their neighbors in Thana. There, Rustom Cursetjee and his co-trustees took the Mistree camp head-on and won handsomely.
They followed all the democratic norms, permitted Mistree to address the anjuman members on his opposition to the world body, countered the letters the Mistree camp sent to anjuman members criticizing the Cursetjee team, stood by their principles at the Ahmedabad Federation meeting despite being threatened and verbally abused and then went on to win the trusteeship/committee elections.
If the BPP does not counter the orthodox camp effectively, the orthodox opposition may not only form a new world body but pass a vote at a future Federation meeting to make the Federation a part of their racially based, casteist world organization. They would also attempt to remove some of the present Federation office-bearers who they view as liberals.
The BPP would have to then either accept their fate or withdraw from the all-India body.
Unless the BPP leadership reacts quickly and decisively, they will find their options limited and the battle lost through default.