“Tenets and traditions”

Rustom Jamasji’s caustic comments in "Tenets and traditions” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, February 21, 2008) on Dr P. D. Sunavala’s letter on the same subject (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, January 21, 2008) were totally uncalled for.

The ancient system of dakhmenashini got a body blow after the vultures disappeared — from Bangladesh to Barcelona — and with the Bombay Natural History Society’s official stand that they could not be bred in captivity at Bombay’s Doongerwadi.

Jamasji states: "When some people initiated steps to strengthen the system, we fought within the community.” Those who fought most vehemently against commissioning the solar panels were Khojeste Mistree, Adi Doctor and their ilk. Fortunately, they were ignored and the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) went ahead with installing many solar panels and saved the system. Other anjumans followed suit.

The real savior of the system is Dr Homi Dhalla with Neville Sabavala and his team from Baroda. The good technical work is now carried on by the local team of another Sabavala, Shastry and Sidhwa. Full marks should be given to these persons, though as of now there are problems with the solar panels during the monsoons.

A further blow to the system came when the pictures of the partly-decomposed bodies were distributed door to door, published in the national Press and put out on the Internet! That resulted in a sense of nausea among the survivors of the deceased, some of whom filed a writ in the Bombay High Court to let the BPP authorize the use of the bunglis for performing the last rites of those who opted for alternative modes of disposal (three of those who filed the writ are former trustees of the BPP).

I agree with Jamasji that there is no health hazard arising from the system of dakhmenashini. The priests have created a bogey that wherever there is a dakhma a Parsi corpse must compulsorily be consigned to it. I find no such mandate in our scriptures.

How does Jamasji expect to strengthen the system when a few years back one anjuman sold off its dakhma lands to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) — to start a firing range there! Another punchayet sold off a large chunk of its dakhma lands (under the pretext of a compulsory acquisition by the state government). The local Parsis have filed a consolidated suit against their trustees.

In today’s day and age Parsis should have the right to choose their final mode of disposal. I would like to see in your balanced and articulate magazine more letters about living Parsis than about the dead.

B. T. DASTUR