“Friends, philosophers...”

I have read "Friends, philosophers and guides” by former Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee Eruch Desai (Parsiana, March 21, 2010). Nothing better was expected from a fellow traveler of the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) and staunch supporter of the orthodox camp and the present BPP trustees.

Desai argues that Neville Wadia, a Christian, really loved to be Zoroastrian. Can anyone give a cogent and logical reason why Roshni Maloo, who is married to a Christian, did not convert to Christianity and went through hell and brimstone to initiate her children into the Zoroastrian fold in spite of the venom, cheap gimmicks, and stooping to depths of the cabal of the khota dasturs, the Seven Samurai of BPP, WAPIZ, and their lackeys if she did not love her religion?

Parsi hypocrisy unfolds more brazenly when Parsi women who are married to non-Parsis but have not converted to another religion are treated like pariahs. The dishonesty of the bigots is exposed. Not only do they have double standards, but religion is purely a matter of convenience, a façade, a tool to play around with.

Desai uses Mahatma Gandhi’s words: "belonged to the splendid Zoroastrian faith.” Do Goolrukh Gupta and Roshni Maloo belong to the same splendid Zoroastrian faith or not? Chew on it you palav dar Parsis, you won’t find it difficult to answer this question.

Tomorrow if Rahul and Varun Gandhi, and Priyanka Vadra want to become Zoroastrians the same dhong dhang (sham) justification will apply. But Parsi women initiated by navjote and not converted to another faith will be castigated and reviled.

I say that anyone can become a Zoroastrian, like the Wadias. Even if a Parsi woman has changed her religion she can re-convert to Zoroastrianism, and these khota dasturs and the BPP are only making a fuss.

Desai says the priests "observed that their opinion was based only on religious practices, tradition, customs without taking into consideration the Constitution of India.” Parsi customs, practices, traditions have changed from time to time; only their mindset has not changed. He further adds that under the Constitution of India "a citizen including a Parsi Zoroastrian has every right to practice his religion, tradition and custom as he decides.” Then what is the fuss about and aren’t the fatwas meaningless and absurd?

As for Joseph Peterson’s navjote, the BPP trustees and the khota dasturs had no leg to stand on and their resolution not to allow him the benefit of the trusts in India was a cruel joke, not worth the paper it was typed on. Peterson, as everyone knew, was not going to come to India to enter an agiary or Doongerwadi even in his dreams. It was a stunt which exposes the character, honesty, sincerity, and level of commonsense of the dhongis. The resolution to say the least was a dhong.

In the same vein, the natak in Sanjan was purely playing to the gallery out of frustration and desperation by religious rogues and bigoted fools whose authority is not only eroding but is being questioned and challenged at every step. For the first time in the history of the BPP the chairman supported by another trustee took to hooliganism. Mikhail Chistyakov is a recognized Zoroastrian priest in Russia, and practices and preaches the religion there.

Mobedi is hereditary only in India and is dying here. Elsewhere in the world anyone willing and capable of carrying out the duties of a mobed is wholeheartedly welcomed. Even in India at many places behdins are performing the duties of the mobeds. Lastly, after the Maloo-D’Souza navjote fiasco in which the bigots had egg on their face, it is my advice to Desai to convince these zeros to mind their own business. Stop interfering with the religious beliefs and feelings of others.

I fully agree with Desai that the issue of the two priests should not be pursued further and be given a decent burial. The fatwa is being flouted with impunity and priests continue to perform the religious ceremonies of dead bawas who are cremated.

As it is, a number of Parsis don’t go to agiaries or to Udvada. Stopping those who want to sincerely come and pray is not only the height of stupidity, but an insult to God Almighty. The Zoroastrian religion is nobody’s monopoly, not even that of Parsis.

BEHRAM AGA

behram_r_aga@yahoo.co.in