Less than a year after being elected as trustees of the Poona Parsee Panchayat (PPP), five of the seven voted to dissolve the board and hold fresh elections.
At a board meeting on January 6, 2023 it was "resolved to appoint an election officer who will start the process of holding fresh elections.” The office of the joint charity commissioner was informed of the developments, erstwhile chairman Tehmasp Bharucha informed Parsiana when queried about the dissolution. He was not present at the January 6 meeting.
"I had health issues due to which I was advised to avoid stressful tasks… My well-wishers and family members insisted that I should give top priority to health… I give my 100% and take my commitments very seriously… I thought that post my sickness, I should take a break and get some relaxation,” Bharucha told Parsiana on January 10. The board had been elected on March 13, 2022 (see "Prognosis for Poona,” Parsiana, April 21-May 6, 2022).
Erstwhile Poona Parsi Panchayat board, from l:
Sarosh Mistry, Rohinton Bharda, Nauzer Batliwalla, Tehmasp Bharucha,
Col Kaizad Bhaya (retd), Bakhtiar Narielwalla and Yezdi Motiwala (file photo)
"I thought, though very reluctantly, to step down and accordingly I had submitted my resignation on November 28, 2022. Two other colleagues, Col Kaizad Bhaya (retd) and Nauzer Batliwalla, also submitted their resignations. But all the three resignations were not accepted as there was no board meeting held prior to January 6. In the said board meeting, only my resignation was accepted.
"Meanwhile, the thought of holding fresh elections was becoming stronger and ultimately in the meeting of January 6 it was resolved to dissolve the board by taking votes, where out of the six present at the meeting (I did not attend), the resolution was voted by five in favor and one against — the dissent was that of the vice chairman Yezdi Motiwala.”
In a January 7 message on WhatsApp Motiwala stated that "Bharucha and Bhaya resigned on November 28 stating health issues with immediate effect, while Batliwalla resigned on January 2 since he is going abroad for a long duration.
"Yet in the (meeting) held yesterday attended by Bhaya as well as Batliwalla, though resigned, have voted to pass a resolution along with Bakhtiyar Nariewalla, Sarosh Mistry, and Rohinton Bharda to dissolve the board, ‘for smooth functioning,’ which speaks for itself loud and clear.
"I have not resigned and am still the active trustee… I am a straightforward person, not afraid to speak out the truth and to oppose and prevent wrongs happening. Hence obviously I am labeled as the black sheep (the villian)…”
Stating that he owes allegiance to the members of the Panchayat "and donors whose money I will definitely not allow to be squandered recklessly and also to my fellow community members,” the vice chairman stated, "Though being brutally targeted, I am still doing my bounded (sic) duty as the trustee elected by people who have placed their trust and confidence in me… Fresh elections amount to huge expenses which is a loss to the trust.”
Motiwala was recently at the center of a controversy over the occupation and usage of the PPP owned Ghaswalla Bungalow in the city’s Wanowrie Bazar area (see "Motiwalla’s mission,” Parsiana, September 7-20, 2022).