Goodbye Dearest Sanaeya

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Dokhmenashini the Best mode of     Disposal

Parsis Bring Laurels To The     Country And The Community.

•  Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Have you noticed the absence of furniture on this stage, more importantly, that there are no chairs! The organizers have done this consciously. For if you provide chairs to BPP trustees, they don't get up for 21 years!

•  On a more serious note, ladies and gentlemen, today is a very significant day for several reasons. It is August 9 th . 66 years ago, on August 9 th the British were told to QUIT INDIA . The attitude of indifference, who cares as to what happens to the Bombay Parsi Panchayet - nearly destroyed this 350 year old institution. This august charity of ours. The biggest private landlord in Mumbai of nearly 5000 flats. The owner of our precious and sacred Dongerwadi and the Parsi General Hospital , of immovable properties valued over Rs.40,000 crores. Today, on August 9 th , 2008, looking at this huge, huge response of the community, this ATTITUDE OF INDIFFERENCE, like the British, 66 years ago, has been asked by the Parsis to QUIT THE COMMUNITY. Today, therefore, is QUIT INDIFFERENCE DAY !

•  This day is also significant, as it happens to be the first day of the Muktad. A time during which we remember with affection the souls of our dear departed and pray that they progress, further and further, into higher spiritual realms. A time during which we make a new beginning. We also invoke the blessings of the departed souls. Today, the Parsis of Mumbai, remember, with great affection, our benefactors - Jerbai Wadia and other members of the Wadia family who built such splendid Baugs and colonies, the Petits who gave us the Parsi General Hospital, the Jeejeebhoys, the Camas, the Jokhis of Hong Kong. Have we administered their magnificent charities efficiently and well? Have we ensured that the benefit of these princely donations go to the less fortunate, to the middle classes, to the man 'with too heavy a burden, too weary a load?' Unfortunately, the answer is NO. But one can see distant light on the horizon. For the first time, a genuine feeling of hope is forming. The coming Parsi New Year, on August 19 th , may be remembered as the year in which the Parsis had their own October Revolution.

•  Until two years ago, most of us, were hardly bothered about the BPP. Suddenly, four trustees resigned, saying that they were exasperated, distressed and could not function any more. Allegations and counter allegations surfaced, for the first time, in the national press. The appointment of an administrator to take over the Panchayet became a real possibility. Mr. Nusli Wadia intervened and defused this crisis. However, the sickness in this noble institution had spread so far and wide that a permanent cure was desperately required.

•  A little before all this happened, one man, who had until then been completely indifferent and ignorant of community affairs, saw the injustice, the unfairness and the cold cruelty of the system. He saw how large flats in Cusrow Baug, Ness Baug, Rustom Baug and Khareghat Colony were given to those who could afford to pay upto a crore of rupees. He became angry, very angry. Ladies and Gentlemen, at times, it is good to be angry for unselfish reasons. He decided to do something, and alongwith two friends, started a movement called the 'Alert Zoroastrian Association' or AZA. This man was Kersi Randeria, who alongwith Zeree Jehangirji and Percy Patel and a steadily increasing band of volunteers, started to question the BPP trustees, plead with them, cajole them, even threaten them. AZA has moved the Charity Commissioner to suspend and remove the trustees on grounds of breach of trust. Through the ever popular, ' Jamé-Jamshed' , AZA started to inform the community about what was going on in the BPP. This would not have been possible but for the daring of Rusi Dhondy, Jamé's editor. Sunday after Sunday, AZA and Jame educated the community and spoiled the trustees' breakfast.

•  Then, matters reached a superboiling point, and the resignation drama took place. By this time, several Parsis who were interested in community affairs realized that we were inches away from disaster. As someone has rightly said:- Get involved or stop criticizing the System. Efforts began to bring all the parties to discuss and resolve. Characteristically, WAPIZ, though invited, refused to participate. But all the trustees did. This was when Adult Franchise for Progress (AFP) was born.

•  AFP told the trustees "introduce universal adult franchise and then all six of you must resign, when seven new trustees are elected". How all the trustees agreed is another story for another day. The Bombay High Court was petitioned by all six trustees to amend the Election Scheme. To do away with indirect elections and give every Parsi, over 18, a direct right to decide and select their trustees. Cynics sniggered that the last change in the Election Scheme took seven years, this new change of Universal adult franchise will take ten years! However, there is something called Divine Intervention - even the Gods presiding over the affairs of the Parsis - decided that enough was enough, and in a record time - almost miraculously, the Bombay High Court sanctioned the Election Scheme. Of course, WAPIZ opposed. Tooth and nail. In various Courts and in various ways. So did other gentlemen who wanted the status quo to continue. But they all lost, before Justice Khanwilkar, before Justice Roshan Dalvi, before Justices Radhakrishnan and Mohta - all judges, to whom this community owes a massive, massive debt of gratitude.

•  And, ladies and gentlemen, we all owe an equally huge debt of gratitude to another gentleman sitting here today. He has guided the destiny of this institution in its most stormy period. He has managed egos, he has used all his corporate boardroom skills to build consensus, to keep his fighting colleagues from tearing each other apart, he has maintained a dialogue with AZA, the Press, WAPIZ, the list is long. He has been much misunderstood and called names, including by myself in the PTA column of THE BOMBAY SAMACHAR, but he has forgiven and forgotten. He has been an outstanding Chairman. Tall, upright, like Caesar's wife, beyond suspicion. Universal adult franchise would have never happened without Minoo Shroff. Ladies and gentlemen, to the outgoing Chairman of the Bombay Parsi Panchayet, Mr. Minoo Shroff, please give a standing ovation.

•  Due to the happenings of the recent past, the image and credibility of the BPP has suffered badly. Donors refuse to donate to the BPP but are willing to donate to the Parsi General Hospital so ably managed by Solicitor Homa Petit as a mission of service. Donors are equally eager and continue to donate crores of rupees to the WZO as they have full confidence and faith in the wonderful work done by another sitting trustee of the BPP, Dinshaw Tamboly who has earned excellent karma by relentlessly working for the rural Parsi poor in far flung villages of Gujarat

•  The idea of Universal adult franchise was first mooted by yet another gentleman sitting here today - who has served the BPP as a trustee for one term - who has been irrepressible, unstoppable, and always frank. A man who has represented the Parsis in the Municipal Corporation - the evergreen, Rustom Tirandaz.

•  After obtaining universal adult franchise, the AFP, including AZA decided not to do a 'CER' on the community. For those of you who came late, CER or Committee for Electoral Rights, brought about several useful changes in the Election Scheme in 1980 and won 99% of the seats in the Anjuman Committee elections. Before these changes, CER had declared that its Committee members will not contest trustee elections. However, they all did. One by one, they became trustees. AFP decided that, in these difficult times, the need of the hour, was to place before the community, a panel of seven outstanding good men and women, independent of any group, faction or organization, untouched by any controversy, leaders in their walks of life, of great integrity and honesty. It was therefore necessary that all who are part of AFP or AZA should not contest. This is to mark a complete break with the rather murky and sordid past. A new fresh beginning with new, fresh trustees.

•  We always knew that this task was going to be difficult. We shortlisted, by consensus, names which fitted these requirements, to become a trustee like Col. Khareghat, who transformed the Panchayet. We understood that such excellent human material is bound to be busy but nevertheless, could be convinced to carve out time for their community. In the next few minutes, the AFP - 7 Panel will be unveiled before the community, and hence, I would not like to spoil the moment by disclosing their identity beforehand. However, the Seniormost member of the Panel, who has given 50 years of service to his community, and who, Ahuramazda willing, will be the next Chairman of the Bombay Parsi Panchayet, surprised us, with his reaction. We were a little afraid to ask him whether he would consider offering himself as a trustee. What did he say, ladies and gentlemen?In just one minute, he said : - 'Something within me says that this is a call to duty, how can I refuse my community?' This brought tears of joy to our eyes. Surprisingly, this reaction was not restricted to him. Several other members of the AFP - 7 reacted likewise. Divine Intervention continues. As if the Cosmic is directing the consciousness of these good men and women to be ready to serve their community and which community has given each of us - goodwill, standing, respect, success and a right way of thinking and living. It is time that we gave something back to the community.

•  None of the AFP - 7, ladies and gentlemen, had the slightest aspiration or ambition to become a trustee. There is a big difference between 'Hoon Trustee Thava Mangooch' and 'Please, tame Trusteeship accept karva consider Karso ke?' You will yourself realise, in a few minutes, how stellar, how outstanding, how honest, the AFP - 7 Panel is. The point, is, their willingness to serve without any personal reasons of ambition or honour or ego or of hogging the limelight.

•  The USP, the unique selling proposition, of AFP - 7 is obviously that they will work as a TEAM. AFP's Steering Committee has ensured that each member of AFP - 7 is a 'cultural fit', that each has understood and accepted the Mission Statement - we shall not denigrate it, by calling it a manifesto. Most of the present problems of the BPP are attributable to a lack of Team Spirit. Lack of a basic, common minimum programme or a socio-economic philosophy. This led to bitter disputes, acrimony, litigation, a flurry of allegations and washing dirty linen in public. AFP - 7 addresses this problem squarely, and that is why, it is so critical for us to vote for the entire PANEL as a TEAM, and not only for individual candidates who comprise the Panel.

•  The Bombay Parsi Punchayet is first and foremost a public charitable trust and personal religious views of the trustees do not have any relevance to decision making. Despite this, AFP has ensured that none of the candidates before you hold any extreme religious views, one way or the other. Of course, none of them subscribe to the rabid, fundamentalist, mumbo jumbo of WAPIZ. The Mission Statement of the AFP - 7 provides that each candidate shall work towards strengthening the Dokhmenashini system and protecting the Doongerwadi lands. More importantly, each member of the AFP - 7 enjoys such a status in society that it would be ridiculous for any one to even suggest that he or she will be influenced or controlled in any manner by any group or individual. As a matter of fact, each of these members have made it categorically clear, that as and when elected as trustees, they will owe no allegiance, no loyalty, no debt of gratitude either to AFP or AZA or any individual but shall decide every matter on its merits and according to the call of their conscience. Nothing can be fairer and more transparent than this.

•  Every crisis leads to an increase in consciousness. The current crisis has also brought about an increase in the collective consciousness of the Parsis. In the last one year, we have noticed the enthusiasm with which Parsis have enrolled themselves as voters, the increase in the circulation and readership of Jame and the Parsiana , the increased interest in community affairs by individuals who were earlier largely indifferent or ignorant. While undoubtedly AFP will canvass for its own Panel, we would be failing in our duty if we do not acknowledge the work done by others in increasing public awareness about these elections and the BPP. We have already referred to Rustom Tirandaz, who has always stood and fought for universal adult franchise. Phiroze Amroliwalla has been a tireless fighter for the cause of his community and has spent unbelievable time and energy for community welfare over decades. Similarly, we have Arnavaz Mistry, who is an outstanding social worker serving her constituency of the really poor and deprived.

•  Ladies and gentlemen, it is not only important that each one of us votes on any of the six days during the three October weekends but it is equally important that none of us wastes even a single vote and remembers to put seven crosses against seven candidates of his or her choice. It is even more important that each of you resolves to ensure that atleast four other Parsis, relatives or friends, also vote at the elections, and those four also, do likewise, setting in motion a chain of voting which can result in a huge turnout of more than 20,000 voters.

•  Please do not underestimate the struggle and the toil which has resulted in your right to give seven votes. We shall all vote for the young Parsi girl working as a housemaid in Vasai; we shall all vote for the 72 year old father with impaired vision begging for a flat in the BPP after losing his 32 year old son to cancer and being removed from his dead son's employer's flat. We shall all vote for the old couple of 72 who make and sell cutlets for their living and very often go hungry to bed, and mop the floor every morning themselves, as they cannot afford even basic domestic help. We shall all vote for the Irani lady awaiting for 14 years in the office of the BPP and would dare not use the toilet facilities even during her pregnancy because of the fear of losing her number in the waiting list. Thanks to the efforts of AZA and thanks to the orders of an outstanding Charity Commissioner called Mr. Deshmukh that some of these extremely deprived cases have received allotment of flats, very recently from the trustees. For every such allotment, there are ten other cases on the waiting list. Please do not think that we are a rich community. Yes, it is true that we have extremely large charitable funds but it is equally true that even today a few Parsis do go hungry to bed, are still hustled from sanatorium to sanatorium without a house and whose basic human dignity is trampled upon. Ladies and gentlemen, if you want to end this shame, we have to vote and usher in a change, at this historic moment, in the 350 year old history, of the BPP.

•  Today we have a genuine opportunity to wipe every tear from every eye and provide shelter to every Parsi in Mumbai in the next seven years. At the end of this meeting, we have composed a special song which contains the message of AFP.

Thank you.

(Speech delivered at the AFP Inaugural Meeting on 9 th August, 2008)