Population decline

Population decline

I have seen the Parzor advertisement announcing "To transform the lives of minorities." While their effort is laudable, my main concern is the Jiyo Parsi initiative.

I wish to make a few observations and suggestions which will help contain the population decline of Parsis in this the most tolerant country in the world where no one has been persecuted by the state machinery due to their religious beliefs (and the only country which has never persecuted the Jews). The Parsis are declining at an alarming rate and various community trusts and anjumans, though seized of the matter, are unable to do much about it. Help is required from the Government, and it has come.

We landed in India, sought refuge and were granted it willingly. We came to India to save our religion and community, giving up our language, culture and our motherland for the purpose. We have largely preserved our ethnicity and our faith, but we are now facing extinction.

When we came to India there was a diaspora to many countries — China, Russia, Europe — but the Zoroastrians who went there are untraceable today. The Parsis survived in India because they were strict about preserving ethnicity.

In the late 19^th century a census held in India showed us to be a minuscule minority but with a sizeable growth in population. What has caused the present alarming decline? The causes are late marriages, no marriages, mixed marriages, lack of knowledge and pride in the religion. Many have only one child, others have no children. This is often due to the high literacy rate and pursuit of lucrative careers by both males and females, western influence where marriage is not considered a religious duty, lack of peer/social pressure and lack of accommodation.

In all social interactions at college or the work place Parsis are exposed to non-Parsi members of the opposite sex, and so finding a Parsi mate becomes a case of familiarity breeding contempt. The children of Parsi fathers are accepted but very seldom choose to continue to be Zoroastrians. Children of Parsi mothers will find it difficult to practice the Zoroastrian religion in a non-Parsi home environment, even if they are accepted. One cannot possibly take pride in one’s religion if one does not know what it is! What a glorious history we had! What sacrifices our ancestors made! What Alexander the vandal or the Arab persecution failed to do, we are doing to ourselves.

Our forefathers gave up their beloved motherland to save their faith but so many Parsis are not enthusiastic and impart no faith to their children. To increase our numbers by allowing conversion may augment the figures but will result in losing our ethnic identity and the dilution of our beliefs. To save the endangered Jarawas, Onges and Little Andamanese tribes one cannot encourage them to marry Bengalis, Punjabis or Malayalis to increase their numbers. Young Parsi men and women must marry within the community and have at least two children to merely achieve zero growth — three children per family being the least requirement for positive growth!

The government and anjumans can help by providing jobs, housing and medical help — only to the deserving. All trustees and office bearers need to set an example by marrying within the community.