Congress comments

The sagacious decision to continue with the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress and take over its running at the eleventh hour was an accomplishment. Much time, money and energy had to be spent on retrieval rather than on proactive preparation.
After so many allegations flowing fast and free, no acrimony was visible and the four days went without a hitch; the entertainment catered to all tastes with most artistes being Zoroastrian. A jashan at the H. B. Wadia Atash Behram on Decemebr 26, paved the way to the 10WZC. The presence of the President of India at the 10WZC from New Delhi was an accomplishment, as was acquiring the expensive Turf Club free of cost for the last day’s entertainment. The last day also saw a sit-down patra nu bhonu catered by the renowned Tanaz Godiwalla.

Jashan at H. B. Wadia Atash Behram Photo: Jasmine D. Driver

Good intentions were palpable in the width of the subjects slated for discussion, particularly when you consider the organizers were forced to walk on eggshells. But hardly any discourse or questions/answers for controversial subjects were held or permitted. Dialog was introduced for "educative” sessions e.g. divorce, medical issues, housing etc. Scholarship was scarce. Faribourz Rahnamoon, Drs Yuhan Vevaina and Homi Dhalla, Rukshana Nanji and mobedyar Dr Rashin Jehangiri were all relegated to smaller, break-out rooms placing issues of scholarship at a lower rung in halls of 200-capacity instead of the main hall – a 5,000-seater. It would appear that the organizers, were unable to give it the detailed attention required. There were in all about five or six sessions on wealth creation or the lack of it. Even the strident sales pitch for the forthcoming Dubai festival was honored in the larger room.
Time seemed to move on a lenient schedule. Speakers were given five to seven minutes to cover important topics, compelling many to overdraw on their allotted time if the chair so permitted them. Introductions were long and not always pertaining to the speakers’ Zoroastrian identity. The 10WZC became very Bombay-centric, followed by a focus on India, and role model achievers from abroad. Ills and tribulations were not referred to much. Problems and tricky issues were not discussed. Where do we go from here? An action course was not even attempted.
Panel discussions often remained lectures with the media, sports, business skills sessions being some exceptions. A wide range of topics came under discussion but few were scrutinized. The food was catered by a commercial non-Zoroastrian business venture. Similarly, unlike the 16th North American Zarathushti Congress in New York in 2012 where all the kits were manufactured by an Indian non-governmental organization, the kits for the 10WZC were made by a commercial concern.
The past was nostalgically quoted with little emphasis on the path ahead or the future of the community. Two sessions were an exception - Return to Roots and Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation — both dealt with the young acquainting themselves with their mother country and with activities for Zoroastrian (read Parsi) youth. Both these were dominated by children of trustees and power brokers of the community.
The apocryphal "sugar in milk” myth was taken a step further by a North American representative, who claimed we are now adding water to milk by wanting to accept the children of out-married women. How come no water is added when males marry non-Parsis?
Indian Zoroastrians carry the burden of preserving stringent practices e.g. dakhmenashini, shunning intermarriage, hounding out-married, excluding non-Zoroastrian spouses from all religious proceedings whether happy or sad. Orthodox overseas Zoroastrians seem to exempt themselves from "preserving” rituals, traditions and practices as they have sought "greener pastures, better lives.” Would the governments of the "free world” allow exclusion in religious places, closed religious practices, gender discrimination and racial and caste elitism? For how much longer will we harp on exclusiveness? After 1,383 years (about 69 to 46 generations later - one generation acknowledged as 20 years in developing countries and 30 years in the developed world) we still want to be exclusive. In the western hemisphere every attempt is made to show nationalism of their adopted new countries in one generation, but we are exhorted to preserve The Faith after centuries. Then why not recommend Iran as the point of reference and touchstone for preservation of the faith rather than our adopted country, India?
Most issues were swept under Persian carpets. But one stood out – increase of numbers. A passionate plea was made to marry young, have more than two children though the subject of adoption remains a contentious one (not even referred to during the duration of 10WZC).
The 10WZC saw a reaffirmation of Parsipanu but how does one define being Zoroastrian?