“Room for introspection”
I have read the letters "Room for introspection” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, January 21, 2014) by Porus Dadabhoy of Chicago and "Congress: zero result” by Behram Aga, in the same issue.
I agree with Dadabhoy that parents are to blame "for the declining values amongst their children.” I visit the US every year and make it a point to attend the Navroz function of an association of the Parsis there and am in agreement with Dadabhoy, especially his observation regarding "not wearing the sudreh and kusti.” Sadly, the same state of affairs prevails in Bombay. If Dadabhoy were to attend any wedding, navjote or other big reception he will find that over 80% of girls/women of all ages don’t seem to wear the sudreh (and kustis too, I presume). Quite a few of the men do likewise.
One is disturbed to read Dadabhoy’s ultimate comment that "the interfaith marriage rate, in the USA, is twice that in Bombay. I studied in England over 50 years back and have been visiting it almost every year. I find, even today, that the Punjabi Hindus and Sikhs come to India to select their spouses. Rarely do overseas Parsis do that. They take the easier route and marry Americans. Within India and abroad, we seem to be losing faith in our cultural identity.
In his letter Aga laments that none of the burning issues concerning the community was discussed at the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress held in Bombay in December 2013. In my opinion, the most serious ones are our dwindling numbers; over-rigid birth control/late marriages; empty agiaries/merger of fires; dilution of faith; ostracism of our out-married girls and their children; the plight of Iranian Zoroastrians; reservations of seats in management and technical colleges; and mobed welfare. B. T. DASTUR
The editors reply:
Statistical evidence does not bear out the interfaith marriage rate of the US being double that of Bombay. While Parsis from the US may visit India in search of spouses, not many Indian Parsis want to leave their families and migrate. The lure of foreign lands has lessened as the Indian economy has liberalized.
In response to B.T. Dasturs comment "Room for Introspection" (Parsiana, May7, 2014) I wish to state that his and Porous Dadabhoy's observations (Parsiana, Jan 21, 2014) are very accurate. I have lived in the USA for 42 years and since my arrival as a young student to eventually residing here, I have noted a tremendous shift in the values of our community: loss of ties to the community, apathy and ignorance towards our religion, ethnicity, traditions and rich cultural heritage. Yes, young people (and adults) do not wear their sudreh-kusti. It is discarded and finds a permanent place on the hanger weeks or years after the initiation ceremony which in most cases is performed with a lot of fanfare. The interfaith and inter ethnic marriages have approached 60%. One only needs to read local community newsletters and Fezana journal (Fezana, October/Fall 2013 issue, page 81) and observe what is happening within their own circle of family and friends. In fact inter faith marriages have ..