With the new challengers unveiling their panel, the war for elections to the Bombay Parsi Panchayat is already heating up.
For a community which believes in maja ni life this crowd of Parsis was pretty serious. The occasion: The unveiling of new panel of reformists to contest elections to the Bombay Parsi Panchayat – a body which presides over community's affairs.
The who's who of Mumbai's prominent Parsis were all here at this South Mumbai gathering. Clearly no one seems to be taking the panchyat polls in October lightly.
Legal eagles, corporate honchos, big bankers and accomplished doctors form the panel being put up by the Adult Franchise for Progress group a group that's taking on the conservatives.
People like Ervad Nadir Modi, a senior advocate, Noshir Dadrewal, CEO, Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy, Byram Jeejeebhoy, Chairperson, Jeejeebhoy Trust, Maneck Engineer, Senior VP, Godrej & Boyce, Dr Ketanyu Dinshaw, Head, Tata Memorial Hospital, Keki Mistry – MD, HDFC and Sohrab Dastur, Senior Tax Advocate graced the occasion.
With only 40,000 Parsis in Mumbai, clearly every vote counts. No surprise then that even the reformists take care to watch just how much they attack their rivals.
Then there are voices in the community uncomfortable with this tug of war.
They may be one of the smallest communities in India but the Paris have always wielded a lot of influence.
Original article here.