Youth speak

"Parsi.” A single word that conveys so much. No one could really do justice in describing a Parsi. I myself only have a rough idea: A Parsi is a person who loves good food, has a great sense of fun (what other people in other communities would call ‘whacko’) and is staunchly honest.

A good Parsi is one who loves to eat, drink and make merry. Eat what? You might ask. Well, the answer is basically anything that has not a goodly amount of protein in it. Parsi cuisine has a lot of bheeda ma gosh and papeta par eeda. We basically combine egg, meat or chicken with anything handy and pass it off as food. A bawa is at his best when chomping on a big piece of meat and sipping his beer or whisky as the taste goes.

Another characteristic of Parsis anywhere and everywhere is our phenomenal sense of humor. We use any and every reason to celebrate and have a party... We haven’t got the title ‘mad bawa’ for nothing!

Vouching on another aspect of bawajis — honesty, we pride in being a truthful and an upright community. Our basic prayer Ashem Vohu tells us the great message, truth is great and should be practised for its own sake, for only through truth can we attain happiness. In the corrupt world of today, I am proud to be a part of the ‘chosen few’ of this religion which is so scrupulous.

Zoroastrians are among the most prosperous people in India. We have a lot of "big-wigs.” We have great cricketers like Nari Contractor along with great businessmen like the Tatas, Godrejs, etc. We excel as professionals too. In the field of music, we have the world’s greatest conductor Zubin Mehta on our honors list, along with icon Freddie Mercury. As for doctors we have well-known families like the Udwadias and Soona­walas who have given us generations of worthy doctors in India.

If Zoroastrians have a fault, it is getting too nostalgic. We have a tendency to look back at our past, and forget about the present and the future. We should not get stuck in past achievements, but move forward. According to me, we have a brilliant future, for we have a glorious past to build it on. We should seize our future and whatever it holds for us.

Another fault of the Zoroastrians is a tendency to get a little above themselves. Parsis tend to look down a little at the locals. We think ourselves superior to the natives.

A point which I have given a lot of thought is the growing fanaticism in Parsis everywhere. For example there are many agiaries which do not admit Parsi children of mixed marriages. This is very narrow-minded. As we are a community shrinking in size we shouldn’t shut out those who marry out of the faith and their children. I am proud to say that Parsis in the Delhi Anjuman are very broad-minded. I look forward to navjotes of non-Parsi spouses being performed. We the kiddies in Delhi are taught about the faith by a handful of Bawi mothers.

I conclude with the wish that Zoroastrians everywhere retain their identity, their integrity, honesty, sense of humor and exaggerated individuality. I now put down my pen to go ask my mum to make some dhansak.

NINA NARIMAN

New Delhi