“Innocent children”

My family has been put through unwanted and uncalled mental trauma prior to the initiation of my children into the Zoroastrian faith.

The Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Dinshaw Mehta has told the media that this navjote is an irreligious act of conversion. Firstly there was no need to go to the media. Conversion is giving up one’s religion for another. My children have been born to a Parsi Zoroastrian mother and have been brought up in a Zoroastrian household which follows all Zoroastrian customs. They have never been baptized or initiated into Catholicism. Hence there is no act of conversion nor can they be called converts.

One so-called Zarathushti has gone on the net and called my children "ajithélu (contaminated).” Children are the best gift. They should not be targeted. They are innocent and no religion would ever close their doors on children. I am ashamed that a few people in the name of religion are making their own rules.

Initiation into a particular religion cannot be a prerogative of the male gender alone. There cannot be one set of rules for the males of the community and another set of rules for the females. It is the mother who carries a baby in her womb for nine months. Hence it should be the right of the mother to decide with the consent of her husband as to which religion the children should be initiated into.

People in the past have made their own set of rules to suit their whims, fancies and vested interests. In the old days society was male dominated. The women in those days were not allowed to discuss or express their views freely. Today the Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi is talking of a Women’s Bill in the Rajya Sabha. We all applaud women’s liberation, so why be backward in our community?

People are saying that my children who have been initiated into the Zoroastrian faith would not be allowed to enter agiaries and atash behrams. So be it, but I would like to question them what steps are being taken against Parsi Zoroastrians who do not wear their sudreh and kusti. They wear the garments only when they visit the fire temple.

Fire is considered sacred. Yet certain people smoke and thereby take fire in their mouth. Mehta used to smoke. Are they or is he thrown out of the community? They too must offend the sentiments of the orthodox community members.

Lawyer and former BPP chairman Eruch Desai has written in the Jam-e-Jamshed of April 18, 2010 that my children will not get anything or be entitled to claim any Parsi charities or property. Well, we don’t want any. My husband and I are competent enough to provide the essentials for our children. Religion has nothing to do with material wealth.

I was truly shocked by the threats received by my family members and myself from our community members. I ascribe the entire episode to a bad dream and humbly request those people who issued the threats that instead of stopping two innocent children, be constructive. Work towards the betterment of the community. Just don’t talk. Go and help the senior citizens, children and others who work towards the betterment of the community. Flexing your muscles against small children is not an act of bravery but cowardice.

Religion is a personal issue. The BPP jurisdiction lies only where property and funds are concerned. The BPP has unnecessarily put in great effort, time and malpractices in an attempt to stop this initiation ceremony. If only they could put the same 100 percent dedication towards their trust duties, people would applaud them.

Every individual according to the Indian Constitution has a right to choose his own religion. I humbly request the members of the community and the respected high priests not to be judgmental but view the episode in a wider perspective. Be fair and abhor any form of gender discrimination.

My family and I love all our community members and respect our priests.

Roshni Maloo