In a path-breaking development taking place at the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), the four majority Trustees – Chairman Yazdi Desai and Trustees Noshir Dadrawala, Kersi Randeria and Zarir Bhathena – have taken a positive and bold step to resolve the problem of Housing for over 30 families of our community, who were kept waiting to walk into their new homes, choiceless pawns caught in the middle of politics played by the minority. The four majority Trustees are unwilling to be held back any longer from performing their duties, even as Trustees Viraf Mehta and Armaity Tirandaz are trying every possible means to bring the functionality of the BPP to a standstill, especially Housing allotments, immaterial of how this affects the community. However, the four majority Trustees have decided to go ahead, in keeping with requisite legalities, and have registered the documents and started allotment of houses, much to the relief and blessings from beneficiaries who were desperately in need of housing.
Although Trustees Viraf Mehta and Armaity Tirandaz have legally appealed that the Housing allotments and other BPP functions be brought to a grinding halt since a few months, fo90rtunately for the community, the majority Trustees decided that “enough was enough”. They sought legal counsel from a senior partner of the reputed law firm, Mulla and Mulla, and were advised that Clause 32 of the Scheme of Elections (the High Court sanctioned document that lays down the rules under which the Trustees must work) clearly states that the Trustees can take decisions by a majority and the same must be acted upon by all the Trustees, including those who may not have agreed with the decision. The opinion further went on to say that it was in fact the duty of the Trustees to continue their work. The four Trustees have thereby started executing the documents, much to the relief and happiness of the beneficiaries.This has led to an exchange of unpleasant emails with Viraf Mehta writing to BPP’s Housing in-charge and getting a response from the Board of Trustees represented by Noshir Dadrawala. In his mail, Viraf Mehta mentions, “If the above is true then the trustees are guilty of committing various offences including criminal breach of trust. The majority Trustees just by passing a resolution illegally allotting flats without providing me with minutes and reading material cannot legalize an illegal act.” To this, the response reads, “We are here to go forward, not backward. We are here to do what is right and not what is wrong. We are men of courage, not cowards who weave legal webs of deceit. We are men of honesty and honour…”
Housing beneficiary Jehangir Irani, a 71-year-old, visually impaired senior community member, was one of the beneficiaries for whom the majority Trustees championed the cause of Housing and have allotted him a house after a wait of 36 years! Sharing his story with Parsi Times, Jehangir Irani said, “I’ve been blind since the age of 3. My father worked at Doongerwadi for 46 years. I completed my SSC and hold a Music Degree (Visarat). I’m married and have lived the larger part of my adult life with my wife at an extremely inconvenient quarter at Dadar Parsi Colony that I had to share with another tenant – where the usage of the washroom as well as movement was extremely problematic. I filled the BPP form for housing in 1980 and have been endlessly waiting since. I bless the new Board for acknowledging my existence and giving me a house after 36 long years. My heartfelt gratitude and blessings to these four Trustees who made it possible for me. I wish to appeal to the other two Trustees to show some compassion to the people in need and let the good work continue, especially for those who are physically impaired and deserve some leeway.”
Earlier in 2014 and 2015, Housing allotments were brought to a standstill after Ex-BPP Chairman, Dinshaw Mehta, refused to let the last Board continue to function without him. With the support of Munchi Cama and Armaity Tirandaz, housing allotments came to a standstill, much to the suffering and heartbreak of hopeful community members who were to receive houses. After the Dadi House scam broke and made headlines in most of the mainstream newspapers, Cama sent a notice demanding that no allotment documents be registered. Despite all the denials and pretensions to the contrary, on that very day Viraf Mehta and Armaity Tirandaz also made the same demand leaving a big question mark over the intentions of the concerned individuals and the possibility of their collusion towards the same end – stoppage of house allotments. As a result, those beneficiaries who had been short-listed were left stranded. These included, in addition to Jehangir Irani, numerous others like those suffering from illnesses, those who were homeless or on the verge of homelessness due to the expiry of their Leave and Licence agreements; and young married couples eager to start their lives.
Housing beneficiary Arastoo Irani, a 54-year-old lawyer residing in Dahanu, had to quit his career as he is undergoing chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. He had applied for a house six years ago when he had gotten engaged but was more than ever now, in need of it. He explained, “I get my chemo treatment done at Hinduja Hospital and it’s extremely difficult traveling for four hours one-way to reach the hospital from Dahanu. It’s especially excruciating returning to Dahanu post treatment, it’s practically impossible to sustain this kind of travel in my condition. I was very happy when the whole new BPP Board – including Trustees Viraf Mehta and Armaity Tirandaz – granted me a house at Nowroze Baug about five months ago. I was told I had also received approval from the Wadia Trust. Then all of a sudden I was told that Armaity and Viraf had dissented and no flats would be allotted, leaving me in a literal lurch for survival! But thank god! Much to my relief, 4 Trustees agreed in majority to sanction me a flat on submitting an affidavit. This will help ease my life.”
35-year-old housing beneficiary Arzan Khambatta had been living with his parents, wife and two daughters (total 6 people) in a small 1RK accommodation at Godrej Baug, though he had put in an application 8 years ago when he got engaged. “Even though I was eligible for a house at the time of my marriage, I had been made to wait inspite of my eligibility. The new Board has been supportive and sensitive towards the Housing needs of the community. Based on that confidence I approached Trustee Viraf Mehta to consider my case during the April 2016 elections. As both, my wife and I, had known Viraf for a while and having worked with him in ZYNG, Viraf was initially extremely supportive! In fact, he was the Trustee who pushed my case and got my file opened for consideration by the Board! After going through all my papers, including my salary certificate at my time of marriage, I was found to be eligible for a house at that time and have finally been allotted a single room house for which I am very grateful to the rest of the Board, for not keeping me waiting any longer and giving me a flat at Godrej Baug. I sincerely hope and pray the Board once again comes together and the Trustees work unitedly to solve housing and other problems of the community,” he says.
Earlier in 2014 and 2015, Housing allotments were brought to a standstill after Ex-BPP Chairman, Dinshaw Mehta, refused to let the last Board continue to function without him. With the support of Munchi Cama and Armaity Tirandaz, housing allotments came to a standstill, much to the suffering and heartbreak of hopeful community members who were to receive houses. After the Dadi House scam broke and made headlines in most of the mainstream newspapers, Cama sent a notice demanding that no allotment documents be registered. Despite all the denials and pretensions to the contrary, on that very day Viraf Mehta and Armaity Tirandaz also made the same demand leaving a big question mark over the intentions of the concerned individuals and the possibility of their collusion towards the same end – stoppage of house allotments. As a result, those beneficiaries who had been short-listed were left stranded. These included, in addition to Jehangir Irani, numerous others like those suffering from illnesses, those who were homeless or on the verge of homelessness due to the expiry of their Leave and Licence agreements; and young married couples eager to start their lives.
Another housing beneficiary, Fredy Makujina has been serving as the priest of Dadar Parsi Colony’s Agiary for the past 21 years. Living in a small one-room accommodation at Hindmata with his wife and son was becoming an issue in terms of travel as well as space-shortage. “I filled an application for housing exchange around 2.5 years ago. When the housing allocations restarted, I approached the BPP and they said they would allot a house in DPC – I’m very grateful that I was allotted a house and was able to take possession a week ago, inspite of the ongoing tussle within the BPP. I will pray that all the hopeful beneficiaries in waiting are also allotted houses. I’m very happy and grateful to the majority Trustees of the BPP who took a stand and made this possible. My family blesses them all!”
30 year old Housing beneficiary, Ruhshaad Daroga, says, “We were skeptical about starting a family in the first place! We were paying a high rent and were financially not ready for a child since it was difficult to even make ends meet. It was a very tough period, and our doctor had asked us to start a family immediately, considering health issues. That’s when we approached the Trustees and told them our constraints. They considered our case based on the doctor’s reports and just a week ago, we got our own house! Currently, my wife is pregnant and she is mentally and physically comfortable and happy. My wife, our unborn baby and I am very thankful and bless the majority Trustees who went ahead, understood our situation and took this decision. Our entire community would be grateful to all the Trustees if they could unanimously come together for the betterment of the community.”
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A blind Parsi begging for a house for 36 years. What a shame. Now these Trustees taking credit for allottment. Why was he not allotted when the last lot of Trustee, who are now in this team too, should answer. This is no credit to the present lot of Trustees frankly. There may be so many deserving, but they are still waiting and cursing.