Survival at stake

All around, everywhere, anywhere the

talk is the same,

Where will the Parsis be in life’s

  survival game?

Corrective steps needed to be taken

long, long ago,

Now time is against us, what need we

do, where do we go?

It’s said drastic decision is needed for

     drastic result,

We need a change of mind-set, a

change in our cult,

Let’s see what we can and what we

can’t do,

Eliminating options, hoping some

   light will come through,

Germany is recorded to have produced

under laboratory condition,

A super race needed to rule the world

and wield the gun,

But we are beyond Hitlerism, and

abhor such a way,

So let’s check out the next option with

which we can play.

Let’s accept all the children, of one

Parsi parent in our fold,

This first step in itself is very bold,

Then let all the Parsi punchayets

supervise and see,

On a war-footing, incentives to be

given to child-bearing Parsis.

O yes I will clarify and tell you what

needs to be done,

On priority basis young couples should be allotted housing at once,

No discrimination here, be they rich or

poor, for this facility,

Third child onwards is the (commu­­-

nity’s) punchayet’s responsibility.

Free complete education, health-care,

and subsidized needs,

Like the Army canteen that caters to

its men and feeds!

Parsi industrial houses must have job

reservation,

Seeing the educated are well employed is within their jurisdiction.

Motivate the couples to help the

community, reciprocally,

Then the upward swing in births will

be recorded simultaneously,

All defunct, agiary, Parsi trusts and

property,

Be sold off to facilitate this project for

our continuity.

If this be the immediate steps we can

push forth and take,

It would be the beginning of our

revival, for Gods’ sake!

RODA D. HAKIM

Baroda