Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | March 09, 2018

Nadim Memon, the man who they say has the ‘Midas Touch’ where converting a barren ground into a green top is concerned, who is a passionate sportsperson as well as a curator and who has also been part of various Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) committees is fighting a lone battle with the current Committee of the MCA headed by Ashish Shelar who is the president.

Memon had filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court March 06, 2018 against the MCA (Copy of writ petition) which came up for hearing today.

Says Memon: “Today Writ Petition (l) No. 752 of 2018 was mentioned before the Division Bench of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court on behalf of the Petitioner by Senior Counsel Mihir Desai I/b Chaitanya Bhandarkar. Acknowledging the urgency in the matter, the Division Bench expressed its inclination to place the matter for hearing on March 14, 2018 for urgent reliefs. The matter will be listed before the Hon’ble Division Bench on March 14, 2018 on the supplementary board despite strong opposition from the Respondents who urged that the matter be taken up only after all matches in the  league were concluded.”

The Mumbai Premier League (MPL) is scheduled to start on March 11 and will be played till March 21, 2018.

One being questioned as to why he is alone fighting this case against the MCA when most are aware of the fact, Memon says, “Politicians are now coming into the MCA and they are giving a step-motherly treatment to those who raise their voice. Most are middle-class people who cannot afford to fight a case. Moreover, they are employed elsewhere and if they take up a case like this, they have a fear that their bosses will be called in the office and they will be harassed and lose their jobs. By the Grace of God, I am my own boss and my conscience does not allow me to turn the other way when Mumbai cricket is being harmed and the MCA is going to lose out on money and some other party will benefit. Look at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), how they have made the IPL a money-spinner for themselves. That is what the MCA has to replicate.

“According to the MCA Constitution the Managing Committee gets a two-year term. This present committee took an extension of 11 months. They called for an election in the first week of November 2017, and then cancelled it saying that they had an urgent court matter to attend, which we later learnt was not true. Moreover, they have not adhered to the Lodha Committee report. Mr. Sharad Pawar and Dilip Vengsarkar resigned immediately after the report.

“Everybody is scared because of their deals. I want to contest the elections and be a part of the MCA but there are no elections. I and many other members have written to the MCA but have got no replies. Many MCA members are happy that I have taken up this cause and they are with me, supporting me morally.”

Also Read: A day with Boman Irani at the Wankhede…