“Whose handiwork?”

The incident where the skeleton of a lady’s wrist was found in the compound of the Shapoorji Fakirji Jokhi Agiary in Godrej Baug is unfortunate ("Whose handiwork?” Parsiana, March 21, 2012) But let bawas not jump the gun and conclude that the human palm belongs to a bawa and has landed there from the dakhma with the help of crows or kites.

What if it turns out that the palm does not belong to a bawa? It would then open a Pandora’s box and raise innumerable possibilities which cannot be discounted without thorough investigation. As the matter stands, the comments of bawas are interesting and conflicting.

Vispy Wadia says the system of dakhmenashini has collapsed and this is not the first instance of a body part landing at Godrej Baug. For his forthright and bold averment, Wadia may be accused of being reformist and anti-religion, but he cannot be ignored. Ervad (Dr) Ramiyar Karanjia, on the other hand, is full of confidence that the system has stood the test of time and solar concentrators are a good alternative to the vultures.

Social worker Dr Viraf Kapadia refutes Wadia’s contention and denies that any such incident of body parts being brought out by vultures has ever occurred and crows and kites cannot carry such things over a long distance, which of course is debatable as they are quite powerful birds. He talks of the aviary which has been debunked by an expert on wildlife. Since the dissenting expert is a bawa he has been reviled and subjected to humiliation by Khojeste Mistree and his World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) in their rag which appears to have gone to sleep, as has the plan to have the aviary.

What is to be done? Find out the truth by getting to the bottom of the issue. Appoint a committee which should include high priests, trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, some from the Association for the Revival of Zoroastrianism (ARZ), and some lay bawas selected by drawing lots in open public view from the list of voters who are prepared to be on the committee and contribute their services. The committee should include a couple of Parsi photographers, one appointed by each camp. They should enter the dakhmas, inspect them and take pictures which should be published in the Parsi Press.

When Dhun Baria produced pictures of the bodies rotting in the dakhmas WAPIZ claimed that they were doctored, but did not back up their words with any evidence.

Now is the time to sort out the problem and uphold the truth. Hai himmat (does anyone have the courage to do so)?

BEHRAM AGA

behram_r_aga@yahoo.co.in

The editors note

The hand was finally buried at Doon-gerwadi. As Dr Viraf Kapadia states "hath to aproch kévai (the hand belongs to us.)”