Refusal to “reconsider”

With the Goolrookh Gupta case set for hearing before the Supreme Court of India on April 1, 2014, the Valsad Parsi Anjuman (VPA) is trying to drum up support for their ban on Parsi women married to non-Parsis entering their fire temple and Doongerwadi. The ban even extends to Parsi women married under the Special Marriage Act who continue to profess the Zoroastrian faith.
In a letter to former Bombay Parsi Punchayet trustee Noshir Dadrawala requesting him to "reconsider” his opposition to assisting the Anjuman, Sam Chothia, the managing trustee of the VPA in an email dated February 27, 2014 wrote: "As legal religious issues are involved (the judgment) will affect the socioreligious fabric of our entire community. I on behalf of our president and board of trustees request you to reconsider your stand and help our Anjuman on the Goolrookh Gupta matter.”

Sam Chothia (left) and Noshir Dadrawala

Dadrawala replied on March 2, 2014: "It amuses me how WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis) and WAPIZ supporters like you come to me holding the flag of religion and orthodoxy while at all other times I have been branded as a reformist! I call this the politics of convenience!
"My question to you is, did the VPA seek my opinion before passing this thoughtless resolution that now you come to me and others to clean up your mess?
"Where was the need to trigger this needless and mindless controversy? Yes, I know that a big-daddy in Ahmedabad promised to fund the war chest and a pseudo-religious scholar urged all of you to take this suicidal plunge.
"The community will be the loser even if the Supreme Court upholds the Gujarat High Court (GHC) judgment for the GHC believes that after marriage a woman automatically takes on the religion of her husband. In other words if the Supreme Court upholds the judgment, all Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Sikh women married to Parsi men will automatically become Zoroastrians.
"I have always taken pride in the fact that I am born in Valsad. I have fond memories of my childhood in Mota Parsi Wad. But today it pains me to see how the leadership in Valsad has allowed itself to be so woefully misguided by cheap Bombay based politicians holding up the religious card.
"Yes, I am orthodox by upbringing and choice. But I don’t wear religion on my sleeve and I most certainly detest people who use religion for political ends,” Dadrawala concluded.