Census confusion

Aspi Bapuna, president of the Nagpur and Kamthi Parsi Zarthosti Anjuman convened a special meeting of the managing committee members of the Anjuman on February 24, 2011 to discuss the confusion prevailing among the Parsis of that city regarding National Census 2011 conducted by the central government in which the Parsi Zoroastrian religion was classified among "Other” religions by the Census Commission, Rusi H. Godha, assistant honorary secretary of the Anjuman noted in a write-up sent to Parsiana.

After prolonged deliberations Dr Thrity Patel, legal luminary and managing committee member was entrusted with the task of writing to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Sarosh Kapadia, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, President of India Pratibha Patil and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, seeking their intervention in modifying the census form to include Zoroastrians, to give due recognition to the community so that its distinct identity is preserved. It should not be lumped in the column marked "Others.” The proceedings of the meeting were telecast over the local television networks, Godha writes.

In her letter to the CJI Patel wrote: "Is our community so insignificant that there is no mention of Parsis in the survey sheet whereas other communities have been mentioned? ...It is beyond doubt that we are Indians first, but we as a community are also Parsi Zoroastrians... and have never approached the government for any privilege or favor in any field. Since the time of the freedom struggle to the present time the contribution made by the Parsi community (has been) conveniently forgotten.” She urged the government to include Parsi Zoroastrians in the list of communities for Census 2011 as "it is the responsibility of the government to see that this small community should be preserved on equal basis with other communities, at all times.”

Accompanying the letter was a note titled "Contribution of Parsis in India” highlighting the community’s history and its role in the making of modern India, listing eminent achievers in almost every field of endeavor.