Bombay Parsi Punchayet goes for a new logo

Singed by accusations of corruption, BPP replaces trusts fire logo, which they felt was symbolic of the ‘trial by fire they recently faced from community groups

 

By Manoj Nair / Mumbai Mirror

Trustees of Bombay Parsi Punchayet, the apex representative body of Parsi-Zoroastrians, have decided to replace the trust’s fire logo, which they thought was symbolic of the ‘trial by fire,’ into which it has been dragged into lately by community groups accusing it of corruption.

The logo will be replaced with winged bulls that are emblems from the ancient Archimedean empire. The old logo shows the letters of the acronym ‘BPP’ stylised as flames.BPP Trustee Dr Khojestee Mistree said, “If you look at the old logo, it looks as if the letters of the acronym are being burnt in the fire. There was something wrong with the concept. The new board of the trust wanted a more modern logo and it was unanimously agreed to adopt the new symbol.”

Fire is a sacred symbol in the Zoroastrian religion; so are winged bulls. The new emblem with two bulls dates back at least 2,500 years to the Archimedean empire of Persia. The images of the bulls were depicted as sentinels that guarded palaces and also the gates of heaven.

Though the BPP – which is one of the largest land owners and charity groups in the city – is nearly 330  years old, the fire logo is less than 10 years old. The organisation did not have a logo before that.

The new symbol was inaugurated at a community meeting in Dadar on October 25.  Mistree said that the new emblem symbolised the trust’s new plans for the community, including a proposal to set up a youth wing.

Lately, the trust has been under intense scrutiny by community groups that have filed complaints at the office of the charity commissioner and in civil courts accusing the body of corruption in housing.

The BPP controls nearly 5,000 flats in trust colonies across the city, that are meant for community members who cannot afford to buy their own homes. Recently, the Bombay High Court allowed the trust to sell flats in an Andheri colony so that it could generate funds to construct homes for poorer members of the community. The plan had been challenged earlier by community groups.

Chairman of BPP, Dinshaw Mehta said he associated the fire symbol with these constant tribulations. “We have been hounded by people who lost the trust elections to us. They have been filing one complaint after another against us in various agencies, and they are not giving up. The old logo was shown burning in the fire. The trustees felt the logo was not appropriate,” said Mehta.

[Link via email: Mickie Sorabjee]