Congress dont’s

Aside from checking the antecedents and pedigrees of all the speakers at the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress (10WZC) to ensure they are kosher (see "At a low ebb,” Parsiana, December 21, 2013), some orthodox elements also want to stifle discussion on inconvenient issues.
The Bulsar Parsi Anjuman Trust Funds (BPATF) has sent a letter signed by managing trustee Sam Chothia to the chairman and trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) dated December 7, 2013, "request(ing) that Neha (Goolrookh) Gupta’s issue and any relevant issue is not discussed in the forthcoming 10WZC… As the matter is sub judice it will be best that it reaches its logical conclusion through the judicial process… Since (the) last few days (Gupta) has been trying to influence and misguide people by giving interviews to (the) print media and also took the issue to (the) electronic media.” Gupta had participated in a program anchored by noted television journalist Barkha Dutt on the NDTV news channel along with around eight or so other personalities as well as members of the audience

Goolrookh Gupta: seeking justice

The case of Goolrookh Gupta vs Valsad Parsi Anjuman is before the Supreme Court. Valsad was formerly named Bulsar and is located in the Valsad district of south Gujarat. Gupta, a former Valsad resident, is challenging a bar on entry to the local fire temple and doongerwadi applicable to Parsi women married to non-Parsis under the Special Marriage Act (SMA) 1954 despite their continuing to profess the Zoroastrian faith. Two judges of a three-member Gujarat High Court bench ruled that a woman who marries under the SMA assumes the religion of her husband. Gupta then moved the Supreme Court which has set February 13 as the date for hearing the case.
"We hope that you will consider our request and see that there is no discussion on the issue which may prejudice and misguide (the) judicial process,” Chothia concluded.
Parsiana sent text messages to the BPP trustees seeking their views on BPATF’s "request.” BPP trustee Muncherji Cama sent Parsiana a copy of a letter dated December 17, 2013, he had shot off to Chothia. "Your letter is on the agenda of the board meeting of the BPP scheduled for later in the day, today.
"Quite frankly, personally speaking, the idea of a World Zoroastrian Congress is to discuss burning issues before the community and I personally would not like to throttle anybody’s right to raise any issue — which should not be construed that I am in favor of supporting Ms Gupta. Again, personally speaking, I cannot agree to your request to see that there is no discussion on an issue which deals with the rights of both Parsi Iranian Zoroastrian ladies married to non-Parsi Iranian Zoroastrians, or the newly conferred rights in Gujarat albeit stayed by the Supreme Court, on the rights of non-Parsi Iranian Zoroastrian ladies married to Parsi Iranian Zoroastrians.”
Trustee Yazdi Desai promptly sent a text message, in reply: "Definitely no discussion on Goolrookh Gupta case should take place at the Congress. The matter is sub judice.”
BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta responded the same day stating "specifically Goolrookh Gupta’s (case) being sub judice (discussion) should be avoided but discussion on general principles of the issue has to be allowed and cannot be throttled.”
As of December 23 no replies were received from BPP trustees Arnavaz Mistry, Jimmy Mistry, Khojeste Mistree or Armaity Tirandaz.