Not a monopoly

I have said this before and I say this again, the Zoroastrian religion is not the sole monopoly of the Parsis in India. Anybody can follow the path of truth shown by Zarathushtra. If some orthodox-minded priests do not want persons who are not born of both Parsi parents to enter the fire temple under their control, so be it. They should not be forced. If the Bombay Parsi Punchayet does not give accommodation or doles to such individuals because of clauses in the trust deeds they manage, so be it. But nobody can deny a human the right to follow whichever religion he/she chooses.

When our numbers are falling, I do not see any logic behind turning away those who want to be part of the community, but then the orthodox group of Parsis thinks otherwise. They are entitled to their opinion. Time will tell if they were right and if it was good for the community or not.

ARDESHIR DAMANIA

California, USA