"War is over. We are at peace,” said Bomi Hansotia, trustee of the Seth Nusserwanji Hirji Karani Agiary addressing a hall full of Cusrow Baug residents and others to felicitate the newly elected trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) on June 4, 2022. The "progeny must be better than their predecessors,” he added.
Ervad Yazdi Aibara, panthaky of the Agiary, appreciated Hansotia for "promptly deciding (on the) felicitation within a week.” The newest trustee of the Karani Agiary, Percy Siganporia assured the audience that he "will continue to do work for the community. A microscopic community with megascopic reach.”
From l, 1st row: Cmde Aspi Marker (retd), Homi Ranina;
2nd row: Armaity Tirandaz, Ervad Yazdi Aibara, Anahita Desai,
Hoshang Jal, Viraf Mehta, Xerxes Dastur, Shehnaaz Khambatta;
3rd row: Bomi Hansotia, Percy Siganporia; audience at Karani Agiary
function Photos: Bomsi Tavaria
Armaity Tirandaz, the second longest serving BPP chairwoman after Lady Hirabai Jehangir, reiterated "women’s power,” and punched the air with her clenched fist. This is the first time there are three women on the board. She proposed two meetings a week instead of one to clear the substantial backlog. She also noted that the trustees were all independent minded. BPP trustee Anahita Desai also felt that this was a credible board. "We can work together and we will work together,” she said. She spoke about the Doongerwadi and that she would do her utmost to protect the property and customs. BPP trustee Viraf Mehta seconded her by saying that both Doongerwadi and dakhmenashini were important. As both Tirandaz and he are now serving their last term as trustees, "Both of us have something to prove,” in the coming five years, he said. BPP trustee Xerxes Dastur talked about "playing a leadership role” to steer the community through its crisis.
Termed the "Son of Cusrow Baug” by Agiary trustee Homi Ranina, newly elected BPP trustee Hoshang Jal received thunderous applause as he stood up to speak. He said he was touched that he was accepted as a family member. He referred to the Covid crisis "when there was nothing we could not do. We were the benchmark for other baugs. We coped with the crisis.” He also applauded a united board adding "there will be differences but the ultimate goal is the same.”
Ranina, who was a BPP trustee in the 1980s, informed the audience that a lot of building activity took place during the time he was in office — the Spenta building and others in Bharucha Baug, Godrej Baug and Khareghat Colony. "Very little has been constructed since,” he added.
Cmde Aspi Marker (retd), the chief election commissioner was acclaimed for the smooth and harmonious manner in which he conducted the elections. Marker suggested that since the board comprised of seven mature individuals, the trustees should present a mission statement and an action plan with goals of five, 10 and 15 years.
Besides the BPP trustees and Marker, the Parsi Press was felicitated as was deputy BPP chief executive officer Shehnaaz Khambatta. Bomsi Tavaria was thanked for photographing all occasions at Cusrow Baug pro bono. Mehroo Kotval