Dear Ones of Baba's Family,

We would like to update you on a number of fronts as to what has been happening at Meherazad since our communication about a month ago regarding the construction of an unexpected and unwanted new road.

For those who did not read the previous Trust-Talk on this subject, on 24th July a road from Shendi town through Meherazad property to nearby Pimpalgaon-Malvi village was started on the verge of the original Meherazad property by the Pimpalgaon village council. Although vigorously protested by trustees and Meherazad residents, the road was declared legal by the district official of roads (Tehsildar) the day it started and this legality was confirmed in Ahmednagar the next day by the Superintendent of the District Land Record Office, a higher official who agreed with the Tehsildar that it was legal.

When further investigation confirmed that we had no legal recourse to stop the construction of this road, we were successful in negotiating a new legal agreement that was beneficial to Meherazad in several key areas.

First, the legal agreement moved the road placement further from the core property of Meherazad.

Second, the width of the road was reduced from twenty feet to ten feet.

And third, in the legal agreement, the local village council agreed that Meherazad could build sturdy fencing to protect all its property, both along the road and along its other boundaries. It was understood that, without this fencing, the road would inevitably grow wider and additional encroachments on Meherazad's property would be far more difficult to prevent.

In fact, without the protection that fencing will provide, there is an increasing danger that unauthorized trails and paths made by farmers for easement might become a legal right of way by default.

All of this has placed an immediate high priority on beginning the fencing project as soon as possible. Time is of the essence as there is actually no certainty that the agreement that we have in place for the fencing will be honored as time passes.

The truth of the matter is that many neighboring farmers and villagers do not have any real appreciation or respect for what Meherazad is. They are passionately concerned about their own everyday interests, some of which include wanting to pass through Meherazad lands when it is convenient for them, or to use our lands for grazing or farming.

The changing attitudes of a younger generation and the current political situation have aggravated this issue, an issue that has been around a long time and even dates back to when Baba was physically present.

In other words, unless we build the fence, we anticipate that there will be more and more intrusions and encroachments from our neighbors and that preserving the sanctity of Meherazad's atmosphere will be increasingly difficult to do. With all of this in mind, we plan to begin laying the fencing in the next few weeks.

Meherwan Jessawala, Meherazad resident, Eruch's brother and life-long intimate disciple of Meher Baba, commented, "What Baba's plan is with the new road is known only to Him, but we who are the caretakers of His Meherazad have to do our best to preserve His home."

We know how deeply concerned the whole Baba family is about Meher Baba's home at Meherazad. Protecting and preserving its sanctity against the intrusions of the world is going to require our loving vigilance for many years to come. In all of this, we are confident that our efforts are guided by His Hand as He draws the weary world into a new age of love and understanding.

In His Love,

Your Meherazad Family of Meherwan Jessawala, Framroze (Falu) Mistry, Kacy Cook, Shelley Marrich, Davana Brown, Mehera Arjani, Michael Ramsden and Peter Weiner