The Trustees, ostensibly on the advice from some of the community High Priests, passed a resolution banning two priests from performing ceremonies at two Agiarys of the Punchayat, as well as at the Doongerwadi. This was done for the reason that these two priests were known to be performing Navjote ceremonies for the children of mixed marriages.
You will all be aware that in a very recent judgment dated July 07, 2014, Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has ruled that fatwas have no legal standing or force and cannot be enforced using coercive method. If you all wish I can send a copy of the judgement.
As a former Trustee of BPP, I feel it my duty to counsel the present Trustees that:
a) The practices followed by earlier High Priests were quite different from those being sought to be imposed on the community by some of our present day High Priests.
b) The ban on priests is an ill-conceived idea, not supported by any legal authority which during the tenure of the earlier Boards would never have been resorted to. The present ruling of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India is indicative of how our justice delivery system views fatwas.
c) Funds should not be used for this purpose – it is not within the remit of the BPP to become self-appointed custodians of the faith. The main purpose of BPP is to look after the poor and needy and not waste precious funds on such matters.
d) The BPP Trustees should try to be more inclusive and keep the community together, not divide and cause friction within the community.
Dinshaw Tamboly
DKT – 2014 – BPP Case against Priests – 01 <— Click for the full letter
