IS YAZDI DESAI ONCE AGAIN FOOLING THE COMMUNITY
Lies, Deception and Intrigue. The community has had enough! Community Wants Answers- So who’s Lying EVEN OUR HON’BLE PRIME MINISTER IS BLATANTLY MISLED Nomination of Parsi Member for National Commission for Minorities
Since his election in 2008, and his titular nomination as Chairman of B.P.P., it is common knowledge that Yazdi Desai has been remote controlled and undermined by the all-powerful reformist trustee within the B.P.P. boardroom, effectively relegating him to the position of a rubber stamp or mere puppet Chairman.
While this may suit Yazdi personally, it is destroying our community and a time has now come when the community has to wake up from their slumber to realize Yazdi’s secretive and remote controlled actions as was apparent during the recently concluded meeting of the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) in Mumbai last month.
It was during this FPZAI meet when Yazdi was in the chair that he was asked a pointed question about the Parsi nomination as a Member of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), where he sheepishly admitted that in fact “he was tricked and instructed into hastily recommending the name of Dinshaw Tamboly”. He informed everyone present that he had sent his recommendation under his signature as Chairman of the B.P.P. without either taking this matter up for discussion with his fellow elected trustees in a properly convened board meeting or informing the FPZAI members or even informing our community, all which are unpardonable and cannot be expected from a Chairman.
Yazdi went ahead and admitted that his action was indeed in haste, and that he should be “admonished” for the same. He also seemed to sheepishly accept that he was “overpowered and tricked” into writing this letter which he said was sent by him ONLY to the Hon’ble Minister for Minority Affairs and that he would rescind the same.
Hearing his so called “sob story” of being tricked, cajoled and overpowered at the FPZAI meeting, whilst most of the Gujrat Anjuman delegates who actually comprised over 70% of the attendance were silent showing no opposition to nomination of Dinshaw Tamboly, it was the representative of the Belgaum Anjuman Commodore Bhada who asked Yazdi to make amends, which Yazdi agreed to and published a letter written by him to the Hon’ble Minister for Minority Affairs rescinding his earlier letter saying that it was issued under a misbelief or by his being tricked. This withdrawal letter was promptly circulated all over the Parsi media as well as social media, and suddenly the “puppet Chairman” garnered sympathy from our gullible community members who once again believed what Yazdi said with a straight face.
It was only when both Parsi weekly newspapers, Parsi Times and Jame-Jamshed, both of which are controlled by Trustee Kersi Randeria, a key force behind the Reformists, suddenly published these articles that certain members of our community realized that once again there was deception and that what was shown as a retraction was in-fact a mere camouflage as described below.
Yazdi has all along stated that he has merely written one letter to the Hon’ble Minister on behalf of the B.P.P. and has retracted the same. Thus he wants the community to believe that the matter is “resolved” and there is nothing to worry and that our “Parsi Kom, Religion and Traditions” are safe. In fact Yazdi has also admitted that he has sent no recommendation letter on behalf of FPZAI to the Ministry of Minority Affairs. He has categorically stated that he has not written any other letters or communication on the subject of recommending Dinshaw Tamboly to anyone else in the Government either on behalf of himself, fellow trustees or even the FPZAI of which he is also the President.
Unfortunately, Yazdi has once again proven himself to be unreliable, un-trustworthy, un-professional and a person whose words carry absolutely no weight any longer.
Our sources in Delhi have informed us that Yazdi Desai has sent not just one, but three letters to the Govt./Prime Minister nominating Dinshaw Tamboly on NCM. On cross verification with the office of the CEO of BPP, it is confirmed that Yazdi Desai has indeed sent three letters to Delhi as follows:
LETTER 1
A Letter dated 16th January 2017 on BPP letterhead as Chairman on behalf of the Board of Trustees to the Minority Minister eulogizing Dinshaw Tamboly for the magnificent and munificent social work done by Dinshaw Tamboly especially for the mofussil Parsis of India and extolling that he is the No. 1 Parsi fit to be so nominated on NCM.
LETTER 2
Letter dated 19th January 2017 to the Prime Minister of India nominating Dinshaw Tamboly “on behalf of the entire Parsi community”, “The Trustees of BPP, the apex body of the Parsi community in India”, “The Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India”, “The Delhi Parsi Anjuman”, and “UNESCO Parzor” as the person best equipped to lead NCM. A copy of his letter is published separately.
LETTER 3
A third letter on the letterhead of FPZAI as the President of FPZAI nominating Dinshaw Tamboly as the Parsi member on NCM on behalf of FPZAI. Again this was done without any authority of the Anjumans of FPZAI or its members.
Thus it is now crystal clear that Yazdi to say the least is fooling not only the community again and again but even the Govt of India as well as the Honourable Prime Minister by sending a letter purportedly on behalf of the Board of Trustees and FPZAI without even having this Item on the Agenda or even discussing it in a board meeting of BPP Trustees or of the FPZAI. How can the Chairman try and fool the Prime Minister that he has sent the recommendation with due authority of the Board of Trustees or FPZAI MEMBERS when it is not even placed before them.
While one may say that the nomination of a Parsi representative as a Member of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) is the prerogative of the Government of the day, what is very surprising and disturbing is the fact that the B.P.P. Chairman, Yazdi Desai coaxed by his powerful reformist colleague Trustee Kersi Randeria succumbed to his pressure and sent a recommendation on behalf of the entire community, the board of Trustees as well as the FPZAI to the Hon’ble Minister in Delhi, as well as the Prime Minister and continued to keep his co-trustees ( at least those not part of his inner circle) and community in the dark for well over three months till the recent Federation meeting.
What is even more shocking, damaging and damning is the fact that he has supported Mr. Dinshaw Tamboly, well knowing he is a Reformist. This aspect and leaning of Tamboly is no secret and to his credit Tamboly has never hidden his beliefs as can be seen in various actions taken by him, including spear-heading the Worli cremation prayer hall. Even in 2014 when Dinshaw Tamboly’s name was proposed to be sent by Dinshaw Mehta and majority BPP Trustees, at that time Yazdi Desai, Jimmy Mistry and Khojeste Mistry had vehemently objected to his nomination for his known according to them anti- religious views. What changed in 2017 that Yazdi Desai now actually recommends his name?
It is nothing short of a small miracle that this deep rooted conspiracy by Yazdi Desai as B.P.P. Chairman and his reformist backers was questioned during the recently concluded meeting of the Federation of Parsi Irani Anjumans of India, and Yazdi apologized that he had indeed acted in an unbecoming manner against the entire Parsi Zoroastrian community which elected him, as well as his co-trustees and sent a letter recommending Dinshaw Tamboly to the Minister and the Prime Minister masquerading as if he had the unanimous support of the community, his co-trustees as also of the FPZAI.
Yazdi has also admitted that he was misled by vested interests in Delhi, including Ms. Shernaz Cama who represented that he would have to urgently propose the name of Mr. Tamboly to prevent the seat going to someone else and added that he should be “admonished” for the same. It is also pertinent to note that the same Ms. Cama in her interview in Mid-day of 9-5-2017 now refutes this statement leaving the community to decide “who’s lying”. It is unfortunate that Yazdi is now trying to pin the blame of his actions on someone who has tirelessly worked towards the interest of the community.
Further Dinshaw Tamboly in his interview published in the same Mid-day issue of Tuesday 9th May 2017 admits that he asked Kersi Randeria to send his name (to the Ministry) and accuses Yazdi’s withdrawal move as political as Yazdi had miserably lost to Dinshaw Tamboly in 2003 BPP elections by 80% to 20%. Yet Yazdi Desai tries to blame Shernaz Cama for misleading him to peremptorily issue the recommendation letter, which has been refuted by Mrs. Cama. Once again leaving the community to decide “who’s lying” or who’s trying to fool the community by still not disclosing the name of his Reformist colleague Kersi Randeria as the person on whose say so he issued the recommendation.
It is a matter of grave concern that Yazdi Desai has openly lied to the community when he informed the Federation members that he had sent only one recommendation letter in support of Dinshaw Tamboly when in reality he has sent three. He has subsequently withdrawn only one letter however the other two letters continue to be active as he has not withdrawn them hoping that no one would find out.
Further in the federation meet he announced that he had sent his recommendation letter to the Minority Minister on BPP letterhead as Chairman of BPP recommending Dinshaw Tamboly for appointment as the Parsi member on NCM only a month back. But his subsequent withdrawal letter refers to his letter dated 16th January, 2017, more than three months ago. So why did Yazdi lie?
More important why did Yazdi Desai not inform his colleague Trustees of his clandestine recommendation nor send a copy of this letter to any of his colleagues, for the last over three months but everything was done in a surreptitious and secretive manner well knowing that he would receive flak from the Orthodox lobby if it was announced.
LATEST TWIST
What is to be noted is the latest news received from Delhi that the Prime Minister and Minority Minister have already approved the candidature of Dinshaw Tamboly as the Parsi nominee in view of the recommendations sent on his behalf. It seems that due to infighting among other minorities, publication of names of all nominees have been kept on hold.
Thus the recommendation letter of 16th January, 2017 of Yazdi Desai has apparently worked and when this news was conveyed to Yazdi Desai in early April, 2017 by Randeria, he now saw no need to continue to support/recommend him and to regain lost popularity amongst his orthodox and Wapiz allies he decided to withdraw his recommendation and pretend to have realized his error which he is ostensibly doing but knowing full well that nomination of Dinshaw Tamboly is now a fait-accompli.
Brilliant Tactics of Yazdi Desai of riding with the hounds and running with the hare.
This by far, is the biggest scam under Yazdi Desai’s Chairmanship, since in effect he has hoodwinked not only our community, our religion, culture and ethos under the influence of his reformist master but also the Govt of India and the office of the Prime Minister of India.
It is now upto the community members to move the office of the Charity Commissioner for his removal as Chairman and Trustee of BPP for the brazen and scheming way he has manipulated all concerned to obtain his objective and at same time come out as a hero for his orthodox followers.
