Census concerns

The census representative visited our home on February 10, 2011. After the general information he came to the section on caste and religion. We told him we were Parsi Zoroastrians to which his response was: "Su tamé Musalaman ma gano, ya ké Hindu ma, ké pachhi ‘Bija anya dharma’ ma (Are you to be counted as Muslims, or as Hindus, or in other religions)?”

Undoubtedly we are a minuscule community, but should we not have our name in the national census six decades after independence? Rather shocking, as Parsis have been a very important part of the country’s development. What with our philanthropy, pioneering entrepreneurship, industrious and progressive commitment to the growing Indian economy, I would say there are reasons enough for our name to figure on the list.

The Bombay Parsi Punchayet must take up the matter through the good offices of the newly appointed member of the Minorities Commission, Keki Daruwala. After all, they are our watchdogs to ensure that such matters are immediately dealt with, instead of dilly-dallying over such issues and taking up matters that are totally outside their domain.

RODA D. HAKIM

Baroda

vadhakim@yahoo.com