Declining numbers

According to an advertisement issued by the Association for the Revival of Zoroastrianism (ARZ), "The Zoroastrian population in India is declining rapidly. The Japanese have started worrying and planning about their declining population growth though they are 120 million in numbers, as against only 69,000 Zoroastrians in India. At the current rate of decline, the Japanese will not die out in the next 500 years whereas the alarm bells are tolling for Zoroastrians in India. Wake up, Parsis! Wake up!”

The ARZ has missed out on one very salient point. While the Japanese are a race and a nation — comprising 120 million — the Zoroastrians are just a minuscule community of 69,000. Strangely, while the former is worried about its declining population from now — by adding more ethnic Japanese to their numbers — we, Zoroastrians are trying to "increase” ours by bringing in non-ethnic numbers, thereby eliminating our community altogether (in a short while).

There will be no Parsis to "wake up” by 2050 and Zoroastrianism will die a "natural” death. Need one say more?

ADI F. MERCHANT