Archive

A flurry of emails making contradictory statements regarding the resignation of Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee Muncherji Cama filled the inboxes of numerous —­ often irate — community members. On the night of June 16, 2015 an email sent by one Ronny Nariman landed in the inboxes of hundreds of recipients (two-and-a-half pages of names on A4 size paper!) scores of whom requested that their names be removed from the mailing list as they were not interested in the shenanigans of the BPP and its trustees as "it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.” Nariman claimed that Cama had withdrawn his resignation and that this had been accepted by the BPP board. When Parsiana sent an email to Nariman inquiring as to who he was and his involvement in community matters, no reply was received.

 

 

 

 

 

Later that night BPP trustee Yazdi Desai forwarded to the Parsi Press trustee Jimmy Mistry’s email in which the latter had voted in absentia for accepting Cama’s resignation and in another email a scanned copy of a handwritten resolution on a sheet of notepaper signed by three BPP trustees — Arnavaz Mistry, Khojeste Mistree and Desai — accepting Cama’s resignation. 
On the morning of June 17, former BPP trustee Dinshaw Tamboly referring to the contradictory emails circulated the following mail: "I took the opportunity to send Mr Cama a text message to let me know the correct position to which he has sent me a short response: ‘Have resigned. Am out.’ Those spreading incorrect information are requested to ascertain facts before shooting off misleading messages.”
However, BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta offered a different version in his email that evening: "We received Cama’s resignation letter in the evening of Friday June 12, 2015. In the absence of a CEO (chief executive officer) I prepare the agenda of every Tuesday board meeting. In Friday’s provisional agenda I included this item at No. 1 for consideration of his resignation on the Tuesday, June 16 board meeting. 
"On Monday I was informed that the resignation letter was not as per mandatory requirements of the election scheme… not being addressed to the chairman and was therefore void ab initio. Further, Jimmy Mistry had expressed inability to attend on Tuesday. Hence in the final agenda sent on noon of June 16 itself I deleted the item for consideration from the agenda.
"In spite thereof Yazdi, Khojeste and Arnavaz insisted through their majority to take up this issue first as an additional item at the 6 p.m. board meeting for consideration. I pointed out that the item was not on agenda, that there was no duly convened meeting to consider the resignation as mandated by clause 52 of the election scheme... (BPP trustee) Armaity Tirandaz also tried to convince them that since the item is not on agenda, we can reconsider after we receive a proper resignation letter. However, the three of them were not willing to postpone the discussion... Heated arguments and shouting followed. To avoid a similar conflagration and controversy (as) recently witnessed I closed and adjourned the meeting at around 6.40 p.m. The meeting therefore officially came to an end. However, the three of them insisted that they will continue and Yazdi started writing on a piece of paper an alleged resolution signed by the three of them and handed (it) over to Aspi Sarkari, the secretary who takes down draft minutes during the course of the meeting before the chairman finalizes it, to include in the minutes of the already adjourned meeting.
"At around 6.58 p.m. the same evening I received the below mail from Cama after the board meeting had already been adjourned by me which was immediately forwarded by me to all trustees.
"‘The Chairman, Bombay Parsi Punchayet, Bombay. Dear Dinshaw, I am advised that my letter of resignation as a trustee of the BPP is incorrectly addressed. In order to prevent any legal complications, I am withdrawing the same. In the circumstances, please treat my letter as withdrawn. Yours sincerely, Muncherji N. M. Cama.’
"On receipt of the mail Yazdi expressed that his mail is a little late but to reconfirm he called up Cama and inquired whether he is withdrawing the letter only because it is incorrectly addressed or he is withdrawing his resignation. Cama replied that he is withdrawing his resignation.
"In view of all that is stated above I leave it to you to judge the legality of the acceptance of his resignation by the three of them and two of us not accepting the resignation.” 
Thereafter former BPP trustee Noshir Dadrawala raised certain relevant issues in his email of June 22:
"In all seriousness, I did not realize that technically as per the election scheme the resignation letter must be addressed to the chairman. Out of sheer curiosity I revisited my own letter of resignation of March 2011 and found that my resignation letter was addressed to ‘The Trustees’ and not the ‘Chairman.’
"Ooops!
"Should I now withdraw my resignation letter even after four years? Or should the trustees consider it technically invalid? I am now really concerned…
"If as per (the election) scheme my resignation letter was ‘technically’ incorrect should I just go back to occupy that chair which I vacated and which dear Muncherji has now vacated ... provided of course the chair has not been badly damaged in the many boardroom tiffs and tussles?
"In any case now that even Yazdi Desai regrets hounding me out and Dinshaw Mehta’s honeymoon with WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis) is over ... maybe the next twist in the BPP tail (sorry tale) could be my technically incorrect and invalid resignation of March 2011.
"Let the circus start the final act before the curtains fall.”