Defenders of the faith

The Parsi high priests and their benefactors, the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ), were quick to take advantage of the developments in Udvada to try and score a few brownie points. They have arrogated to themselves the right to represent the entire community. Are these high priests not aware that the Zoroastrian community is being split and that many community members disapprove of their shenanigans?

The high priests have alleged that changing the tenure of the Udvada land would destroy the "sanctity and solemnity” of the fire temple while failing to demonstrate how that would occur. Using the Iranshah fire to arouse religious sentiments and placing unashamedly racist and offensive advertisements in the media to score narrow political gains may result in disastrous consequences for the community.

Religion is an incendiary issue, more so in a country like India which has experienced some of the worst communal carnages. Playing minority community and sectarian politics has had horrendous consequences. Have the priests forgotten what befell another minority community during the Godhra riots in Gujarat? Are they so reckless as to imperil the entire community and sacrifice its future at the altar of political expediency?

Do the high priests know that Parsis number merely 62,000 in a nation of a billion? During British rule there were riots against the Parsis. At that time, the British protected the community. Who will protect us now? What chance would a Parsi colony surrounded by an armed mob of 4,000 or 5,000 people stand? What if some lumpen elements take umbrage at the brazenly racist, and at times overtly insulting, advertisements denouncing "non-Parsis” placed in the newspapers and decide to teach Parsis that India is for Indians and those who don’t like it here can leave.

The priests have gone on to claim that "Udvada is the holiest place in the world for the community.” Zarathushtra was not born in Udvada, nor did he preach or breathe his last there. Udvada was never a part of the Persian Empire, nor did it play any part in the propagation of Zoroastrianism. Udvada merely happens to be the town where Zoroastrians stopped running for their lives. The holiest places of worship for the community are in Persian lands where the high priests and their benefactors dare not flex their muscles.

If the six claim to be high priests, and if WAPIZ wishes to prove that they are the defenders of the Zoroastrian faith, why are they hiding in India? If they have the courage of their convictions, let them go to Iran and reestablish the seat of Zoroastrianism there.

BARAK AGA

barak.aga@hotmail.com