“A saga of shame”

In his column "Parsi Tari Arsi” which appeared in The Bombay Samachar of November 25, 2007, solicitor and community commentator Berjis Desai has written in some detail about a navjote which was not permitted to take place, an episode which he has termed "a saga of shame.” A middle-aged couple living in a Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) managed colony had read an advertisement of the Association for Revival of Zoroastrianism (ARZ) published in Parsiana stating that it was possible to perform the navjote of any person, so they planned to have one performed for their adopted daughter, a child born of Hindu parents. Full of joy and enthusiasm they went about making arrangements for the ceremony, but their plans were aborted when religious fanatics came to learn of this "heretic” navjote and "terrorized” the couple into giving up the idea, canceling the navjote and withdrawing all the invitations that had already been extended.

Desai himself was informed that some fanatics wanted to rough him up and smash his car, presuming that he had encouraged the childless couple to organize this "heretic” navjote, when he was not even aware of the existence of the child in question. "Tanaz Godiwalla lost some good business in the process… The Parsi Mafia, smugly satisfied with its victory, had decided to get even with the four (priests) who had agreed to do the navjote, and of course the Wadia brothers of ARZ fame (who are advised to place orders for two new cars and increase their mediclaim/life insurance cover),” Desai wrote, tongue firmly in cheek.

"But mirth apart, this incident highlights how a small band of fanatics… pathetic ‘handas’ of little education, can dictate terms on these issues.” Perhaps the gentleman’s decision to widely publicize a navjote of this nature was not very prudent, but does that give these goondas licence to terrorize a decent soul? Desai queries. Saddened by the strong disapproval they sensed among their neighbors, the adoptive parents did not want the little girl to be further traumatized. As it is, even after her navjote she would not have had any "legal rights to call herself a Parsi or apply for Parsi charity or enter the portals of an agiary (which would rather close down for want of Parsi devotees, rather than permit a non-Parsi but Zoroastrian child to enter within)… This is paranoia… This is xenophobia… a sure sign of a dying community — insecure, touchy, intolerant, bigoted and non-liberal,” Desai laments. "Like any little girl, this child must have looked forward to a ‘grand’ navjote and dinner… only to be told that all was cancelled. The scar on her young psyche is the bad karma of all those who, directly or indirectly, contributed to this saga of shame.”

Desai specified in his column that the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) was for once not responsible for the personal attack on him, but the WAPIZ Page in The Free Press J ournal of November 30, 2007 was vocal on the matter: "There is no concept of conversion in the Zoroastrian religion” ran the banner headline. The report claimed that "a fortnight back WAPIZ was flooded with phone calls, some enquiring, some anxious, but most of them angry, pushing for action against the ‘navjote’ of a non-Parsi child” and lashed out at ARZ for helping the misguided childless Parsi couple "to organize the farcical navjote ceremony and wrongly advised them that there was nothing wrong in doing so… This was nothing but open conversion and would set a dangerous precedent.”

WAPIZ trustee Yazdi Desai opined, "It is time to put what is good and right for the community before what selfishly seems good for an individual… You cannot break rules and customs of the community, cause chaos and controversy within the community, hurt the sentiments of the majority of the community and yet selfishly continue to claim community benefits as a Parsi/Irani.” His co-trustee Hoshang Wania concurs. "ARZ should stop fooling the community that such navjoted persons merely become Zoroastrians and will not in future claim any rights, as Parsis. In no time will the ‘converted’ person demand entry into agiaries (which) do not have any form of policing. Our sudreh and kusti are the only outward signs of our identity. Are we going to let this identity badge be taken away from us? Never!”