For a third time an election schedule needs to be drawn up for the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trusteeship elections, originally scheduled for March 14, 2021, then deferred to May 23 following Court intervention, and once again postponed with the sanction of Justice Suresh Gupte of the Bombay High Court due to the lockdown restrictions in the state.
"The petitioners are permitted to propose a new program of elections, including a fresh timeline, and place the same before the Court on the next date (April 30) so that appropriate orders towards fixing the rescheduled election program can be passed,” directed Gupte on April 7. As he specified, "Though the Division Bench (of Justices Shahrukh Kathawalla and Vinay Joshi)… has required the timeline laid down by it to be strictly followed, considering the subsequent events which have brought about a significant change in the circumstances including restrictions imposed by the State due to current Covid-19 pandemic, applicable till April 30, 2021, the proposal of the trustees seems to be in order.” He further declared that the resolution passed at the board meeting on April 6 as also the Court order "be communicated by a public notice by the petitioners to all members of the community so as to keep them abreast of these developments.”
A press release from the BPP deputy chief executive officer Shehnaaz Khambatta was issued on April 8, with attached copies of the Court order as also the resolution passed by the three majority trustees, chairman Armaity Tirandaz, Viraf Mehta and Xerxes Dastur. As per the extracts of the minutes of the meeting on April 6: "Resolved that the trustees have unanimously decided to postpone the election… This is as a result of the escalated Covid-19 situation in the city of (Bombay) and the standard operating procedures issued by the Government of Maharashtra… As a result of the above notification, the offices of the BPP shall be closed till further directions from the State Government. As per the current proposed election schedule, candidates are to file their nominations on or before April 12 and withdraw nominations by April 26. However, in view of the notification, the same is no longer possible. Further, the rise in Covid in BPP colonies has been exponential with currently close to 40 cases in Rustom Baug with many more infected in other colonies. Accordingly, the trustees resolve to postpone the elections by two or more months.”
BPP trustee Noshir Dadrawala who abstained from attending the board meeting on April 6, sent an email to his co-trustees: "The fact remains: We missed the bus. Now go on running to court for more and more extensions. What makes you think the situation will improve by September or October 2021?” The 2021 elections were to be held for two vacancies created by the demise of Zarir Bhathena and resignation of erstwhile chairman Yazdi Desai. With Dadrawala and co-trustees Kersi Randeria and Mehta’s terms expiring in October 2022, Dadrawala recommended, "Whether for safety of voters or safety of the majority… ask for postponement to October 2022 but with consent terms filed in court that all five trustees (including Tirandaz whose term expires in 2023 and Dastur’s in 2025) will step down in October 2022 and elections will be for the full board of seven trustees… Till October 2022 enjoy your majority and in October 2022 let the community decide…”
While the BPP office is closed until April 30, to assist community members mobile helplines have been created whereby they can be reached on: 9004385510, 9930956811, 9867946384, 8369933487. Parinaz M. Gandhi