Long live WAPIZ!

In the "Rules of Religion” under Article 25 of the Constitution of India, everyone is equally entitled to freely profess, practise and propagate their religion. In fact, according to a Supreme Court judgment, a person can change religion by marriage, adoption or voluntary conversion. However, and this is very important to remember, the benefits of the new religion cannot be availed.

Also, no law of the land can supersede the time-honored laws of a religion or race, as established by its fundamental beliefs, precepts and tenets, customs and traditions — unless, of course, if proved to be harmful to others.

Just as when we distribute ourselves thinly in cultureless, concrete structures (there’s no life in that) –– when intermingling leads to dilution of cultures –– in the same way through intercommunity marriages we dilute our lohi, our khoon, our blood; more than that, we not only slowly but surely lose our racial genes, we also lose our identity as a pure and special race altogether.

The crucial issue is whether the world body would consist only of Parsi/Irani Zoroastrians or whether it would also include all "Zoroastrians,” i.e. persons professing the Zoroastrian religion, whether Parsis/Iranis or not.

The Bombay Parsi Punchayet stands today at a crucial crossroads: to be the instrument to cause the split in the community (by joining the world body) or, through prudence and foresight, take the right path in the interests of the true Zoroastrians, and give the latter their total, unstinted support.

Youngsters of marriageable age must be made to see the light and be encouraged — by their parents, relatives and our priests — to marry within the community.

"The proposed World Body (of Zoroastrians – WBZ) is not intended to be a religious body; it will not interfere in the religious practices followed by neo-Zoroastrians residing in various parts of the world,” states The BPP Review (summer 2005). "Each region will be autonomous in pursuing religious customs, traditions, rites, rituals without any interference from other regions.”

Utter nonsense! We will then have people practising Zoroastrianism in 101 different ways, packaged differently to suit their own requirements, their temperaments, their whims and fancies! Each region/state will "pray” to the Lord Ahura Mazda in its own willy-nilly fashion! They will have their own separate priests performing navjotes and wedding and funeral ceremonies as per the dictates of their leaders!

All this neo-free thinking, revolutionary way has been described as the underlying vision of the proposed WBZ (read Z as in Zanies) is to act as a "bridge” for Zoroastrians residing throughout the world (except India), to provide a political "safety-net” in times of need, "strengthen” the community through consultation (with half-baked nutcases), cooperation and networking in various areas.

The further they stay away from our Indian shores the better for us!

Yes, if at all any traditional world body is to be formed it should be done only according to the scriptures and tenets of the true Zoroastrian faith. In other words, it should comprise only Parsi/Zoroastrians and their progeny.

So I say loud and clear, "Let’s have WAPIZ! Long live WAPIZ! Please make me a founder-member immediately.”

Now is the moment in time for our Vada Dasturs and the Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian priesthood to come forth boldly and righteously and say to the world that the Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian religion is the only true faith for its followers, the ‘orthodox,’ and not for any other bogus, self-styled Zoroastrians.

Where is Shah Behram Varzavand? If he was born in 1947, as predicted by Ustad Saheb Behramshah Nowroji Shroff in his treatise and life story, the Rainidaar must be at least 57 years old. Why has he not revealed himself as yet? Why has he not taken up his mission for which he was born and specifically sent into this world?

We need you now... O revered one.

ADI F. MERCHANT