“Future of the Tata Trusts troubled him the most”

In their first media interview, Shireen Jejeebhoy, 73, and Deanna Jejeebhoy, 72, opened up about their relationship with their late brother and their concerns about the current state and future of Tata Trusts.

“Ratan had a lot of problems in the last few years. But what bothered him the most was the future of the Trusts. Sometimes he would talk to us secretly and express his concerns about the future of the Trusts,” Shireen said at Setti Minar bungalows in South Mumbai’s Peddar Road.

Mistry, a Tata confidant, left the board of trustees last week after three trustees – Noel Tata, Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh – did not approve the renewal of his tenure. While three others – Pramit Jhaveri, Darius Khambata and Jehangir HC Jehangir – supported him, this fell short of the unanimity required to approve all the Trust’s decisions.

“We’re worried,” Deanna said in their wood-beamed living room overlooking the patio. “All this came to light just a year after Ratan’s demise. His memory and legacy, along with the Tata values ​​he held dear, seem to be under threat,” the younger sister said. Tata, who studied architecture at Cornell University, helped design the bungalow, a treasured symbol of his heritage.

In a two-hour interview, they said their brothers’ Foundations and other legacies, including those established by earlier Tata ancestors, were now uncertain.

According to Deanna, her siblings had implicit trust in three people: Mistry, Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran and Darius Khambata, Mumbai-based lawyer and trustee of Tata Trusts.

His memory and legacy appear to be under threat, along with the Tata values ​​he holds dear.

After Ratan’s mother Sooni married into the Jeejeebhoy family, the sisters from her second marriage remained close to their elder brother Ratan until his death last October.

Shireen admitted that they didn’t know what really happened other than what the newspapers reported. “But when you look at it from the outside, it looks like tit-for-tat,” Shireen said.

“A fight over trusts is painful. So what for? What is this fight about?”

The sudden dismissal last week of Mistry, who inherited Tata’s Alibaug bungalow and arms collection, sparked consternation and concern in the city’s Parsi community. Mistry’s departure also shifts the balance of power at Tata Trusts towards Noel and increases his influence over the board of Tata Sons, of which he is currently a member. Ironically, it was Mistry who recommended Noel as chairman of the Trusts on October 11 last year, two days after Tata’s death.

tit for tat

The sisters believe the removal of Singh, a trustee, from the Tata Sons board triggered the split at Tata Trusts. This division contributed to the split of votes and the eventual rejection of Mistry as a trustee for life.

According to Shireen, Mehli was Ratan’s confidant and played an important role in his inner circle. “And he (Mehli) had no reservations about agreeing with him (Ratan). It was a beautiful relationship. It was a friendship. Mehli was committed to him (Ratan). He (Ratan) trusted him (Mehli). Ratan believed that Mehli was good for the Trusts and would ensure adherence to governance matters,” Shireen explained.

Deanna was once associated with Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. At that time, the late Jamshed Bhabha was the chairman of the Foundation and had invited him to join the board. He wasn’t sure Ratan could take public opinion into consideration regarding nepotism. “I am the president and I want you to join,” Bhabha insisted.

According to the two sisters, Ratan disagreed with the view that only one Tata should run Tata Trusts.

“No, Ratan didn’t believe that. He was never a fan of that. Meritocracy was the most important thing to him. If you win, it’s yours,” Deanna said.

Shireen agreed.

“Ratan never believed in entitlement. He believed in meritocracy, letting the most deserving person win, that’s why he was so comfortable and happy that Chandra (Chandrasekaran) took over the chairmanship of Tata Sons,” felt Shireen. The two sisters said that Chandrasekaran, who was always very kind, gentle and supportive, also sometimes met them for dinner with Ratan.

Over the years, the two sisters had “very little” contact with Christmas. However, the sisters have kind words for Noel’s wife, Aloo. They acknowledged his role in fulfilling their demands on matters related to prayers in memory of Ratan.

‘No advice’

Shireen said the sisters were not in a position to advise anyone as “we don’t have any information”.

“Our concern is about his legacy and his name. When you read about these events in the newspapers, you feel disappointed. We know that Mehli was involved in implementing Ratan’s ideas on Trust matters. He and Darius, along with us, are the executors of Ratan’s will. They have undertaken this task with dedication,” says Shireen.

“He (Tata) was a visionary and his thinking was always two steps ahead. He was always thinking outside the box. He was passionate about the country and really troubled by the poverty and inequality around him, always thinking about how he could do his part,” said Deanna.

On the Tata Sons listing, Deanna is confident that Ratan is against it and believes the listing is “not in the interest” of Tata Sons.

Sett Minar Bungalow features an elegant painting of Hussein and a frame of Mother Teresa. The sisters expressed their wish for peace to be restored. “There is always hope,” Shireen said.