Despite facing a court case and governmental restrictions the
Punchayet is readying for the March 14 trusteeship elections
Parinaz Gandhi
Whether the trustees or the court or the virus will have the final say in the March 14, 2021 Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) elections remains to be seen. Eight candidates had filed their nominations for the two vacant seats on the board but as per the public notice by the BPP on February 17, the candidature of Dr Zuleika Homavazir was declared invalid. The trustees came to the conclusion that her name had "not been duly proposed as required by Clause 20 of the Scheme (of Election), as her proposer is not a Parsi within the meaning of the Scheme as he no longer professes the Zoroastrian faith.”
Acting on a complaint filed by Hanoz Mistry and an objection by candidate Tehmtan Dumasia that Homavazir’s proposer Rustom N. Jeejeebhoy does not follow the Zoroastrian faith (although Dumasia’s own candidature in 2015 had been said to be proposed by the same Rustom N. Jeejeebhoy), the trustees wrote to both Homavazir and Jeejeebhoy to clarify the position. While Homavazir allegedly responded saying that Jeejeebhoy had "indicated” to her that he continues to practice only the Zoroastrian faith, there was no direct revert from Jeejeebhoy as per the final minutes of the February 16 board meeting circulated on WhatsApp. The trustees insisted that Jeejeebhoy sign a declaration or affidavit stating that he has not converted to Christianity and continues to profess the Zoroastrian faith by the noon of February 17. Since Jeejeebhoy did not oblige, Homavazir was disqualified. Her nomination had been seconded by Khorshed Antia.
Anahita Desai (I) , Berjis Desai
According to Homavazir, "The fact is that Jeejeebhoy remains a member of the Anjuman Committee. His name is included in the General Register maintained by the BPP… (that) renders him a Parsi as defined in the BPP Scheme of Election… This makes him eligible to vote at the said election, propose and/or second another Parsi as a candidate and/or offer his own candidature for trusteeship.”
On February 26 Homavazir announced on social media that she has filed an Originating Summons against the Punchayet in the Bombay High Court and the case was listed 32 for hearing on March 1. Since the BPP counsel was not present that day, the Court deferred the matter to March 3. Homavazir further wrote, "My main contention apart from a win in this election with your blessings and votes is to expose the bitter truth of the trustees. Whether it be their crude mismanagement of the trust administration wherein accounts/taxes are manipulated or be their worthless illegal attitude.”
In one of her many messages on social media that Homavazir signed as "Your Partner in the Progress of our Community,” dutifully forwarded by Mehernosh Fitter, she demanded from the BPP trustees and chief executive officer (CEO) the audited accounts for the assessment years that they have held office as BPP trustees as also the goods and service tax (GST) returns that the BPP has filed in the last four years. "There cannot be a victory unless there is a battle. One cannot make a difference without opposition in an era of indiscipline and maladministration. My grit to make these trustees answerable to their own manipulated laws is a promise.”
Even before she filed her nomination, Homavazir had threatened to go to court saying the electoral rolls have not been updated and the names of many deceased feature therein. She also claimed that some voters have been issued multiple voter certificates in different names.
As per Clause 12(i) of the Scheme "it is the duty of the BPP trustees to maintain an updated list of registered voters 60 days preceding the date of election. Clause 3 (e) and 12 (i) further states that ‘any error or omission in the list shall not disqualify any voter or affect the validity of any election’... By not deleting the name of my proposer for 16 years it is the error of the BPP…” maintained Homavazir.
While launching a website to give herself a platform, she urged voters not to get "carried away by the endorsements, advertisements in weekly publications and meetings that have transpired in baugs.”
Her reference to endorsements and baug meetings was apparently to her fellow resident from Rustom Baug, Anahita Desai, CEO of the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ), whose candidature was proposed by her husband Yazdi Desai, erstwhile chairman of the BPP who resigned following a stroke last year, and seconded by Karyesh Patel. Anahita was the only contestant to have organized voter meetings at four colonies in February until government restrictions during the pandemic prompted the BPP trustees to not permit such gatherings.
Periodically circulating on social media are video clips from familiar faces like ghazal singer Penaaz Masani and former BPP trustee Arnavaz Mistry endorsing Anahita’s candidature. Pages have been reserved in successive issues of the Parsi Times (PT) where her supporters like Homai Daruwalla, chairperson of The Zoroastrian Co-operative Bank, Dr Anahita Pundole, gynecologist affiliated with the Jiyo Parsi campaign, Mithoo Jesia, community activist from Dadar and innumerable others have appealed to the community to cast votes in her favor.
Postpone the polls?
Vital correspondence concerning the current elections seems to have been issued on February 17. On that day, 33 members of the Anjuman Committee, led by former BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta, requested the trustees to postpone the elections until the vaccination process is completed. The other signatories to the letter include 10 residents from Godrej Baug, six from Khareghat Colony, five from Dadar Parsee Colony, four from Cusrow Baug, two from Captain Colony and one each from Nowroz Baug, Khan Estate, Rustom Baug, Bharucha Baug and Cama Park.
They sought a postponement on four major grounds, the first of which was purportedly "the possibility of the pandemic spreading amongst the Parsi population in an alarming fashion and causing death and serious illness.” The second reason cited was more time to conduct an audit of the entire election process with the registers streamlined "to ensure there was no bogus voting, cheating or impersonation at the elections.” Thirdly, if the elections are postponed, Homavazir would have an opportunity to file a fresh nomination. The signatories also appeared to be concerned that "for the first time in the 340-year history of the BPP, two candidates have been allowed to contest the elections although they are married to non-Zoroastrian spouses. The trustees have merely obtained an affidavit stating that they continue to profess the Zoroastrian faith instead of carrying out a proper investigation into their antecedents…”
The two candidates with non-Parsi spouses are Berjis Desai and Kaikhushroo Irani, both of whom are lawyers and when asked by the BPP to sign an affidavit that they continue to practice the Zoroastrian faith, they readily complied. While Berjis’s candidature was proposed by BPP trustee Noshir Dadrawala and seconded by Mithoo Jesia, Irani’s was proposed by Arzan Ghadially and seconded by Shahrukh Bilimoria.
In his clarifications carried in the PT of February 20, Berjis stated that his transition from "a vocal reformist to a more orthodox religionist” was due to a gradual realization in the last decade "that the survival of the community is a must for protecting our faith… I have always been a devout, practicing Zoroastrian. In the last decade or so I have read a lot on esoteric Zoroastrianism including Khshnoom…”
If elected, Berjis mentioned that his "focus will be on solving stalled projects and framing long-term policy; and strengthening BPP’s finances.” His mandate as a trustee is "to bring harmony, consensus, greater efficiency, compassion and modern management practices to BPP.” Contrary to the perception that he is "only for the elite and the well heeled,” Berjis declared he would endeavor "to provide greater financial assistance to our beneficiaries in a more organized manner, to withdraw unnecessary litigation against BPP tenants; to improve staff efficiency and their conditions of service; to provide greater help for full-time mobeds; to prioritize housing for both – staff and mobeds.”
From l: Tehmtan Dumasia, Adil Irani, Farhanaz Irani, Kaikhushroo Irani, Kersi Sethna
The online periodical Parsi Junction (PJ) that Mehta uses to voice his views, although it is ostensibly edited, printed and published by candidate Kersi Sethma, in its issue of February 28 referred to the Parsiana (February 21-March 6, 2021) article "The Telling Figures for 2020” that showed the count of interfaith marriages exceeding Parsi marriages in 2020. The lead article in PJ on this subject titled, "Will the ostriches take their eyes out of the sand and face today’s reality” noted, "This is today’s reality and one has to address it at the earliest. The only way out seems to be to give all kinds of incentives to Parsi marriages and disincentives to intermarried Parsis. We are sure that since Berjis has agreed with us that he will tackle this problem on a priority basis, the community has to seriously give him a chance to come up with an out of the box thinking being a brilliant lawyer that Berjis is. We are quite confident that given a free hand and full cooperation of his colleague trustees he will deliver the goods and help our community to survive with our head held high.”
In his statement in the PT of February 27, Irani declared, "I am neither famous nor a pseudo-intellectual nor have supporters promoting me.” He assured that he would be "the community’s voice in the boardroom, especially with the reservations for our micro minor community… I will not let my community down… I have come up the hard way and know the sufferings of my community members… First priority is the merit list rating, no out-of-turn allotments to anyone known to trustees… We have seen in the past that all candidates who have reached the boardroom because of the backing from godfather have flopped miserably. Don’t go by big names, they neither have the time nor the inclination to help the community. Vote with a conscience…”
Dumasia who had initiated door-to-door campaigning in Parsi colonies has been proposed by Farzad Jehani and seconded by Nozer Irani. Farhanaz Irani, who too was walking up four floors of colony buildings to meet prospective voters, was proposed by Dr Viraf Kapadia and seconded by Dr Syrus Irani. Adil Irani was proposed by Dhun Poonegar and seconded by Nergish Doctor. Sethna was proposed by Freny Parekh and seconded by Ratan Pithawalla.
All candidates were offered an opportunity to express their views in Parsiana (see "Mudslinging and manifestoes,” February 21-March 6, 2021).
Connect via colonies
Although initially the trustees had given permission to candidates to canvass and hold election meetings in baugs in conjunction with the baug associations, in light of the increasing number of Covid cases in Maharashtra it was subsequently decided to discontinue such activities.
Anahita was the only candidate who had organized campaign meetings in four venues. The one held in Godrej Baug on February 21 saw an attendance of nearly 70 residents who had come wearing masks and settled down on chairs three feet apart. Once she had finished expressing her views and addressing queries, some of the eager residents crowded around the one-time resident of the Baug.
While initially Anahita seemed to have escaped criticism from detractors, in end February there was an anonymous post in circulation of her allegedly brainwashing community members at her campaign meetings. Another accusation referred to her husband making a "bonfire of charity funds in mindless litigation.” She was also criticized for being a trustee of a couple of defunct agiaries, and the possible conflict of interests in her role as WAPIZ CEO and a BPP trustee.
Mentioning how her "world had changed” following the stroke suffered by Yazdi on April 10, 2020, Anahita told the assembly at Godrej Baug that after dedicating their lives to the community she "cannot think of just giving it up…I want to be there for the community… The authority that this post gives is much more than if you are not a trustee.” Professing orthodox views, she mentioned how hard it was when Yazdi was not a trustee to convince the BPP not to proceed with its plans to set aside one bungli for use by those who chose to be cremated or to rally support from anjumans against joining a world body of Zoroastrians that would accept "converts.”
She stressed it is "important to change the perception "BPP chor chhè (are thieves).” The reason why the World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust is able to raise funds is because they are transparent.” She cited her recent success in finding funders for renovation of Doongerwadi bunglis; people who don’t even own cars. Being "passionate about Doongerwadi” she referred to her earlier attempts to improve the hygiene at Doongerwadi which the then trustees construed as "interference” and passed a resolution saying no staff member can talk to her. "I have never felt so humiliated in my life,” recalled Anahita with tears in her eyes.
With prospective land transactions being stalled by opponents who mindlessly go to court, she cited the instance of the dilapidated bungalow in Neemuch that The Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India decided to sell. A community member sought legal redressal to halt the sale. This means the matter will "lie in a court for years. What are you going to do with a crumbling community property?” she asked.
A young mother with a babe in arms enquired whether the BPP housing policy could be more sensitive to the newly married who could afford Rs 25,000-30,000 license fees a month but are unable to cough up deposits required for auctioned flats. Aware that to qualify for free accommodation from the BPP, a family’s monthly income limit should not exceed Rs 1,00,000, Anahita sympathized with the middle class who are "penalized for doing well. Take a small deposit, of around Rs 20 lakhs that the youth can afford… Do something practical,” was her solution but knew that the "BPP has a lot of constraints.” Regretting that only two flats in two years have been returned to the Punchayet, she felt "it is wrong that those settled abroad are using their locked premises as vacation homes.”
Concerned that the previous board had redeemed fixed deposits worth Rs 50 crores and taken a loan of Rs 20 crores from the Wadia Committee of Management, Anahita reiterated that the finances of the BPP "are in the doldrums.” The monthly service charge of Rs 750 to be collected from baug residents (unless they were unable to pay) to augment the Punchayet funds was subsequently "cancelled for political reasons. Ask your servants/drivers what they are paying for their kholis (hutments). You will feel blessed staying in a baug” instead of demanding conveniences as "aapro hak (our right),” she added.
"Will the ostriches take their eyes out of the sand and face today’s reality”
It is "important to change the perception. No one has confidence in the BPP
"It is wrong that those settled abroad are using their locked premises as vacation homes”
"There cannot be a victory unless there
is a battle”
33 members of the Anjuman Committee, led by Mehta, requested the trustees to postpone the elections until the vaccination process is completed