WZO — world apart

"With deep regret the World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO) wishes to announce that it can no longer be associated with WZO (India). This decision was taken after very careful consideration of the actions of the committee of WZO (India) which has taken such a divergent path that they no longer share the same aims and objectives, membership criteria, activities or ethos of WZO,” noted a communique dated July 19, 2010 from Darayus Motivala, chairman of the body that has its headquarters in the UK. "WZO is an inclusive and forward-looking organization committed to promoting and safeguarding the Zoroastrian faith and looking after the interests of Zoroastrians worldwide; in contrast WZO (India) has chosen to remain inward-looking with its focus on social activities,” he adds.

On June 11, WZO (India) had held a meeting at Bombay’s Cama Baug (see "War of the worlds,” Parsiana, June 21, 2010) to endorse a resolution demanding that WZO-UK not admit as members any person professing the Zoroastrian faith unless they are of Parsi ancestry.

When the India chapter of WZO was launched "it had a similar constitution, the same membership criteria as WZO and was engaged in parallel charitable activities,” Motivala gave a historical perspective, regretting that around 1997 the WZO (India) committee decided not to keep the UK parent body informed of its activities, accounts or membership. To their dismay they learnt last year that WZO (India) had altered its membership application forms in 2002 so that only those Zoroastrians born of both Zoroastrian parents could qualify as members, contrary to the ethos of the parent body that accepts persons born into and confirmed into the Zoroastrian faith, non-Zoroastrian spouse married to a Zoroastrian or their children.

In the meanwhile those from India seeking to join WZO have been requested to go to their website www.w-z-o.org or contact the headquarters until they set up a new local contact address in India. The press release describes WZO as "a registered charity… which supports Zoroastrians globally through its charitable and social activities and advances the knowledge of the universal religion of Zarathushtra.” It has representatives from around the world on its managing committee and enjoys charitable status in the UK, USA and New Zealand.

Motivala’s press release also showed concern that "since the middle of last year some of the WZO (India) committee members have shared information confidential to WZO with others not connected with WZO or with WZO (India). They have also chosen to renege on previously agreed proposals to move WZO forward in order to meet the needs of Zoroastrians worldwide despite securing the safeguards they sought… We are disappointed that all our overtures for reconciliation with the committee of WZO (India) have fallen on deaf ears and may have been misinterpreted by them as a sign of weakness on our part.” Motivala did however appreciate the support of WZO (India) president Dadi Engineer, along with other WZO managing committee members Dadi Mistry of Delhi, Mani Clubwala of Madras, and Meher Amersey and Homi Khusrokhan of Bombay.

While severing their connections with WZO (India) they also sought to "make it clear that the WZO Trusts in India managed by Dinshaw and Bachi Tamboly are not connected with WZO (India). They have and will continue to have our admiration and support.”