Focus On Religion: Zoroastrianism

Parsis, a very unique, distinct religious minority in India with numbers less than 60,000, a community which is likely to be wiped out in less than a hundred years at its present decent.A third of the Parsis remain unmarried, a third marry outside the community, a third marry very late in life(30-35 years, coupled with high divorce rates), and a large percentage of them in ages over 50, lead to a sharp decline in growth. By the year 2020, India will have achieved the distinction of being the most populated country on earth with 1200 million people. The population trend of the Parsis in Indiamimic that of the western world.

The Parsis have made an monumental impact on modern India whether it is in science, industry, medicine or politics. Today in the 21st century, we their belief to be playinga major role in their existence and survival. Whether they will embrace the 21st century, disregard their promise made to the ruler of Gujarat about taking converts and preaching their beliefs, identify leaders, and take the Parsi Panchayat to task by rooting out the old blood and getting leaders and visionaries in them, all lay within the palm of their hands. Their mantra should not be " Oh! how great we were", but instead " How much more can we achieve, and nothing will stop us".

According to the last census (1991), there are 76,342 Parsis in India with current numbers less than 70,000. The largest population (around 56,000) resides in Mumbai. The city registers 300 births and 900 deaths per year for them. At some point, the Parsis, will cease to be termed a community and will be labelled a 'tribe'. Such gestures may seem enormous to some, but when one asks a Parsi in India about the assistance and leadership provided by the Parsi Panchayat the story is very different.

The Bombay Parsi Panchayat with its immense wealth accumulated through the generous donations of the Parsis of yesteryears, hands out meager assistance to financially handicapped, aging or displaced Parsis.

Many newlywed Parsis wanting to start families of their own cannot locate decent housing within the city limits. Their attempts to acquire flats through the Panchayat never materialise, years afer the initial application. Instead, stories of affluent families occuping the same residences come to light and their only error being they did not know the murky process of selection. Stories of corruption and insider bribing abound.

A good beginning would be making cheap affordable housing to all newlywed Parsis to start families with. The Parsi Panchayat with its large parcels of land in and around Mumbai should jumpstart their rather slow corrupt process of housing for Parsis. Also the community as a whole should start accepting converts from families where one of the parents is a Zorastrian, provide education and financial assistance to all Zorastrians, educate young Parsis about their glorious past while giving them a concrete vision for their future.

 

The very race that migrated from Persia, holding to their belief in their prophet Zarathustra, arriving in a foreign land surviving for a 1000 years, impacting their host motherland, growing to adapt and prosper, now face their greatest challenge of "survival". 

  

I am energized from the fact that my community is noted. The big financial houses like the Tata's, Godrej's, Pallonji's, Wadias etc, should assume some leadership roles and provide direction for both, the youth and the elderly. This has to be a collective effort from every single Zorastrian, from all the four corners of the world. For its non-discriminatory charity to all. It’s love, compassion understanding, and tolerance towards all religions. 

read about my experience as a Parsi HERE