NOSHIR DADRAWALA GRACIOUSLY WITHDRAWS AS HON. SEC. OF FPZAI
Noshir Dadrawala as a Trustee of BPP from 2015 was appointed as Hon. Sec. of Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) and continued as such till his term as BPP Trustee ended 0n 29th May 2022 when a new Board of seven Trustees was elected.
It was therefore a shock when Noshir Dadrawala sent a Circular on 1st September 2022 as Hon. Sec. of FPZAI fixing a meeting of the Executive Council as well as the general body meeting on 2nd October 2022 along with the Agendas of both the Executive Council and the General Body to around 70 Parsi Anjumans located all over India.
Homi Pithawala, President of Bardoli Jarthosti Anjuman took strong Objection to Dadrawala continuing as Hon. Sec. though his term had ended on 29-5-22 and sent the below mail on 10th Sept 2022 to him, the President of FPZAI who is always the Chairman of BPP and all the Anjumans of India to whom his Notice and Agenda were sent:
“The President FPZAI, Mumbi
Dear Madam, Our Anjuman has received an email from the Dy. CEO – Mumbai Parsi Punchayet, Informing us about the next FPZAI Meeting to be held at Mumbai on Oct. 02, 2022.
This email also contains as attachment a letter signed by Mr. Noshir Dadrewala along with the agenda and other documents also signed by Mr. Dadrewala as the Jt. Hon. Secretary of the FPZAI.
Our Anjuman discussed this matter at the Trustee’s meeting and have decided to lodge our strong protest against Mr. Dadrewala signing the agenda etc. and calling for the meeting as the Jt. Hon. Secretary.
As per the constitution of the FPZAI the term of the office bearers is of two (2) years. As all the office bearers were elected / nominated at the Ahmadabad meeting held on 19 /20 July 2019, their term has expired. Further as per the FPZAI’s Constitution the Chairman of the B.P.P. is always the President of the FPZAI and the next senior most trustee is appointed as the Jt. Hon. Secretary of the FPZAI.
As Mr. Noshir Dadrewala is no longer the elected Trustee of the B.P.P. he cannot hold the office of the Hon. Secretary of the FPZAI. Also that the term of all the office bearers was over in 2021. As per the FPZAI’s Constitution only the President’s term does not expire after two years but has to vacate the office when he / she is no longer the Chairman of the B.P.P.
Therefore as per the FPZAI’s constitution and rules framed under this constitution, Mr. Dadrewala has no authority, Power or any locus standee to call this meeting and sign various documents as the Jt. Hon. Secretary.
Further the agenda states to take up a matter of shifting the office of the B.P.P. decided at the Valsad meeting of the Zonal representatives of the West Zone – B. As far as we remember no such proposal was discussed and passed at this meeting.This proposal was discussed at the FPZAI’s Extraordinary meeting held at Mumbai on May 05, 2019; under the President-ship of late Mr. Yazdi H. Desai and after a lot of hot debate and acrimony, wiser sense prevailed and this matter was withdrawn / dropped.
We feel that since the B.P.P. is working smoothly with the co – operation of all the newly elected trustees someone wants to disrupt this unity for their own hidden agenda.We now request your good self to adhere to the proper protocol and cancel all the documents / agenda etc. signed by Mr. Noshir Dadrewala and cancel this meeting.
You may then call for a meeting with your signature and authority after formulating a proper agenda. We further request you to hold this meeting for 2 days as per the practice from the very beginning allotting sufficient time to each anjumans to discuss their problems etc. as was the practice.
Thanking you,
Yours truly,
Homi Pirojsha Pithawala
President – Bardoli Jarthosti Anjuman”
Noshir was reluctant to accept the above proposition as he felt it came from Pervez Mehta, a relative of Dinshaw Mehta and sent the below mail as under: “Notice for FPZAI Meeting scheduled on Sunday, Oct. 02, 2022 From Noshir BPP on 10/09/2022 12:44 pm From Noshir BPP
To Pervez Mehta Cc Shehnaaz Khambatta, Khurshed Dastoor, Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat, artirandaz, viraf, Dastur Xerxes, sam chothia, Farrokh .M.Rustomji, Tehempton Ankleseria G.D.Anklesaria & Co. Mumbai, Medioma Bhada 86 more…
Date 10/09/2022 12:44 pm
Dear Mr. Mehta,
To begin with my last name is DADRAWALA and not Dadrewala. My ancestors hailed from DADRA (modern Silvasa) Nagar Haveli and hence the last name. I had sent the Notice, Agenda and all documents out in consultation with the FPZAI President, my Joint Secretary and Treasurer.
Even with regard to the date I had twice requested the President to talk to her colleague trustees at BPP.
Whether I can continue as Jt. Hon. Secretary of FPZAI will be decided by the members present at the meeting.
I have no love for Power or Position and am certainly not the least bit interested in PPP (Petty Parsi Politics).
If the members do not want or need me I will not even bother to attend the meeting and the second most senior at BPP (I believe he is your nephew) is welcome to become Secretary.
Best wishes.
Noshir H. Dadrawala”
Within an hour, the President sent mail to all requesting that the meeting be put on hold till all the issues are sorted out amicably.
As expected Sam Chothia, Vice President of West Zone Group B, (and also the CEO of Defunct Anjumans and the man responsible for selling off over 10 acres of valuable sea-touching property of Tithal Sanatorium which the Late Meherwan Irani had freed from the land sharks by fighting till the Supreme Court of India), now entered the fray and wanted the meeting to be held on 2nd October 2022 and wanted Noshir Dadrawala and Farrokh Rustomji to continue as Secretary of FPZAI (though both are not members of the Executive Council or any Anjuman) and also claimed that “majority of members of my Zone (West Zone B) informed me that they wish Noshir and Farrokh to continue as Secretary”.
This led to Pervez Irani, Vice-President of West Zone A, sending his mail on the same day which completely destroyed the arguments of Sam Chothia and which was graciously also accepted by Noshir himself. We give below the mail of Pervez Irani and the acceptance of his logic by Noshir Dadrawala as under:
“Notice for FPZAI Meeting scheduled on Sunday, Oct. 02, 2022
From Pervez Irani on 10/09/2022 11:17 pm From Pervez Irani
To sam chothia Cc Armaity Tirandaz, Noshir BPP, Dinshaw Mehta, Pervez Mehta, Shehnaaz Khambatta, Khurshed Dastoor, Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat, viraf, Dastur Xerxes, Farrokh .M.Rustomji 87 more…
Date 10/09/2022 11:17 pm
With due respect to all, Office Bearers and members of the Federation are elected representatives of various Anjumans / Panchayat. If you do not stand for election or fail to get re-elected, your position in the federation also ceases.
Secondly, federation has jt. secretaries and many a times request to call for a federation meeting was made to discuss various topics, but was not conveyed.
Noshir Dadrawala was a member of the Executive Council and an office Bearer only because he was a Trustee of BPP. Since he has ceased to be a Trustee from May 2022, he automatically ceases to be on the Executive Council and an office bearer.
As per Clause 14(d) of the Rules, it is laid down that “if an office bearer ceases for whatever reason to be a member of the Executive Council he shall automatically cease to hold office and shall vacate the same.” Thus this Clause disqualifies Noshir to hold office and should voluntarily vacate the same instead of getting others to support him even if ill-legally. It is time for Noshir to vacate gracefully instead of creating one more controversy.
Pervez Irani,
Vice-President,
West Zone Group A”.
Noshir’s graceful acceptance and withdrawal from the fray is worth emulating by many who are needlessly filing cases in the High Court through their stooges who get rewarded with plum postings and other goodies at community expense:
“Notice for FPZAI Meeting scheduled on Sunday,
Oct. 02, 2022
From Noshir BPP on 11/09/2022 4:55 am
From Noshir BPP
To Pervez Irani Cc sam chothia, Armaity Tirandaz, Dinshaw Mehta, Pervez Mehta, Shehnaaz Khambatta, Khurshed Dastoor, Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat, viraf, Dastur Xerxes, Farrokh .M.Rustomji 87 more…
Date 11/09/2022 4:55 am
Noted dear Pervez and with lots of thanks.
As you rightly said the meeting of FPZAI was long overdue and at the request of other office bearers and some members, I convened this meetings and one of the items as you could see was regarding electing office bearers.
In any case, like I have gracefully bowed out of BPP, I am pleased to bow out of FPZAI as well.
The Chairman of BPP is welcome to take things forward from here.
I thank one and all for everything and request that going forward I am no longer copied on any emails or mails concerning FPZAI.
I request that no one should call me either in any matter pertaining to this meeting or the FPZAI. Sincere good wishes and Ahura Mazda Bless one and all!
Noshir H Dadrawala”
Although Noshir Dadrawala, the person on the hot seat, has accepted that as per Constitution of FPZAI, he could not continue as an Office Bearer, Sam Chothia continued to argue that Clause 14(d) relates to death or resignation which is not the case here and hence Noshir should be allowed to continue as Secretary till the next AGM.
Mr. Pervez Mehta, Trustee of Bardoli Anjuman, has given a fitting reply to Sam Chothia which is reproduced below:
“Notice for FPZAI Meeting scheduled on Sunday, Oct. 02, 2022
From Pervez Mehta on 12/09/2022 10:50 am
From Pervez Mehta
To noshirbpp@gmail.com, Pervez Irani, sam chothia Cc Armaity Tirandaz, Dinshaw Mehta, Shehnaaz Khambatta, Khurshed Dastoor, Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat, viraf, Dastur Xerxes, Farrokh .M.Rustomji, Tehempton Ankleseria G.D.Anklesaria & Co. Mumbai, Medioma Bhada 85 more…
Date 12/09/2022 10:50 am
The President
FPZAI, Mumbai
Dear Madam,
Since Mr. Noshir Dadrawala has accepted the rules laid down in the FPZAI’s Constitution and as explained by Mr. Pervez Irani, there is no need for further discussion on this matter. But Mr. Chothia is still confused or is deliberately trying to create mischief by writing another email addressed directly to the members misguiding them.
To stop this misguiding campaign of Mr. Chothi, I am quoting from the FPZAI’s Constitution and request everyone to read the constitution fully if possible.The FPZAI Constitution under the heading “Appointment of Office Bearers” – 14 (1) (a) states that:
“The Executive Council may, appoint from amongst it’s members, any one or more of the following office- bearers:
(i) Two Honorary Secretaries and
(ii) Two Honorary Treasurers. Further under 14 (1) (d) It is mentioned that:
“If an office – bearer ceases for whatsoever reason to be a member of the Executive Council He shall automatically cease to hold office and shall vacate the same”.
This two clauses read together clearly indicates that since Mr. Noshir Dadrawala, who is no longer a Trustee of the BPP, has automatically ceased to be the member of the Executive Council and therefore cannot work as the Jt. Hon. Secretary. Hope this clears the unnecessary confusion created by Mr. Chothia.
I do not understand why Mr. Chothia is keen on misguiding the members and creating disunity amongst them unnecessarily. Is it intentional or is being used as a puppet being misguided by someone else !!!!!
Madam, I further request your good self to impress upon the members that since Mr. Noshir Dadrawala has so graciously written that he accepts the clarification of Mr. Pervez Irani and has requested that going forward from here on he should not be copied on any emails or mails concerning FPZAI. Mr. Dadrawala further requests that no one should call him either in any matter pertaining to this meeting or the FPZAI.
In view of Mr. Dadrawala’s written statement, why is Mr. Chothia going against his wishes ?
Madam, I request you to stop this misguiding campaign immediately and adhere to the correct decision of Mr. Noshir Dadrawala.
Thanking you,
Yours truly,
Pervez Bomansha Mehta
