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The article by Jehangir Gai, "Camouflaged tenancies” (Parsiana, June 21, 2013), gives readers an insight into the so-called apex body of world Parsis, the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP). (The article questioned the legality of the BPP renewing leave and licence agreements after many years instead of when the lease expired. Gai claimed this lapse made the licensees statutory tenants — editors)
Congratulations to gladiator Gai for launching this crusade for the benefit of pachchamboodhiya akkal na dooshman palav-daar (wise after the event, enemies of reason, food loving) Parsis. Now the ball is in the court of the bawas whether to take advantage of the situation or put a noose round their own thick necks.
Of course the trustees will resort to all sorts of gimmicks, arm-twisting and even dadagiri (issuing threats), which is par for the course, so no one should be surprised. It is history repeating itself. They are in desperate straits. The saying goes, doobtoo manas fin né valgé (a drowning man will clutch at froth). Our trustees are all too human and fallible like the rest of us.
Parsiana’s lament that you wrote to aapro chairman Dinshaw Mehta but did not receive any response is understandable. Had you written to all the akabars individually I doubt anyone would have bothered to respond. What balanced view is Parsiana talking about? The high and mighty trustees are busy people dealing with Fatwagate where mediation is going on and will go on till the cows come home. They also have to deal with Allotmentgate where not one, two, or five but 65 bawas were overlooked and not allotted houses. Vulturegate and Towergate may come up sooner than later. Also, the hot potato which has suddenly emerged from nowhere, property tax, has sent shivers down the spines of one and all.  And at the end of the year the "greatest show on earth” will take place in Bombay where non-Parsi spouses and children will be allowed to attend (as always — editors) the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress. So how can the BPP find time to respond to Parsiana and its readers?
The bottom line is that leave and license is a loaded gun put to the heads of Parsis which can go off any minute blowing the bawa out of his tenement. It is nothing short of blackmail.
Bawas will have to make informed choices and reach proper decisions. When summoned to the BPP office to sign on the dotted line they should listen to what the akabars and their stooges have to say and then politely request them to give it in writing.
So let all bawas keep their fingers crossed and await the outcome of this sordid drama. Beechara (unfortunate) Jerbai (Wadia, who donated the land and built the baugs) and Muncherjee Khareghat (after whom the Khareghat Colony is named) may be weeping buckets at what is going on. The BPP is no longer a charitable institution but a commercial organization.