Freedom of choice

"As long as a 100 of us remain alive, we will never on any condition be brought under English rule. It is in truth, not for glory, nor for riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom — for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with his life itself.” — Robert Bruce.

This is what caught my eye when we were visiting Scotland recently, and you may well ask how the Declaration of Arbroath, 1320, could relate to the Parsis. The following is what my heart perceived when I read those lines, and I have taken the liberty to change the declaration to suit us: "For as long as but a 100 of us remain alive, never will we on any condition be ‘wiped out’ — It is in truth not for glory, nor riches nor honor that we are fighting, but for freedom of choice — that alone which no honest man gives up but with life itself…”

The first line, "a 100 of us remain alive,” brought to my mind the bogey of our dwindling numbers and the prospect of extinction, but a glimmer of hope came after reading it. Certainly, we too are fighting for survival. However, it’s not for personal glory, or riches, or honors, but for the choice to live our lives in accordance with the times we live in.

Let us set aside all defunct issues and find ways and means of making a mark in the world. Past laurels will not suffice, nor will they see us through the rough times we are facing. In our heart of hearts we know that even a 100 of us can change the misery that we are going through by helping to stop infighting amongst ourselves. For this we need men of character, not the chameleons who today are having a field day playing factional politics. We need strong, straightforward Bawas to lead us into a future which would totally overshadow the glorious past in which we still tend to dwell.

This is more true now since we are about to elect new trustees who could, if they so wish, bring about this change. The key word should be ‘freedom of choice’ and if this should be accepted all the issues can be easily settled, the unending controversies buried, and we could step into a new season of prosperity and progress for our progeny. There should be prayers for all the departed, whichever way they chose to rest in peace. Doongerwadi should be made accessible; it is not the fiefdom of just a few. There should be homes and roji-roti (work and food) for all. The children of Parsis married outside the community should be accepted without any bias whatsoever. Only then will we once again rise from the ashes of pessimism and look forward with hope.

RODA D. HAKIM

Baroda