Funding faith and fertility

"The whole world wants to help us… Can we please work together as a community?” Dr Shernaz Cama, director of the UNESCO supported Parzor project was addressing the executive council meeting of the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) on September 13, 2014 in Bombay to spread awareness on the Jiyo Parsi scheme that is endeavoring to increase community numbers. Having succeeded, after a six-year struggle, "to get Jiyo Parsi off the ground” with a contribution of Rs 10 crores from the Government of India to improve the community’s fertility rate, she did not want to risk losing it merely because the community cannot "speak with one voice.”
When it was suggested that outmarried Parsi females too should be brought within the purview of Jiyo Parsi, Cama was emphatic that she did not want to enter into a controversy. This being a Government grant she felt it necessary to follow the definition of a Parsi as legally accepted in India today. Hence up to five lakhs per couple will be extended for assisted reproduction only where both the partners are Parsis or where the father is a Parsi. "We have no time for quarrel… There is danger of us exterminating ourselves,” she maintained.

Reporting 15 conceptions through simple procedures in the last seven months under the Jiyo Parsi scheme, Cama recommended, "Let Kate Middleton (Prince William’s wife who is expecting their second baby after they married in 2011) be the lodestar for the community. We need to make it fashionable to have not less than three children.” She subsequently impressed on the anjuman delegates, over 90% of whom were more than 50 years of age, to persuade their offspring in the child-bearing age group to beget more than one child and assure them of assistance. "Tell them ‘I am there for you.’” She cited her own example of fussing over her only child and rushing to the doctor for trifling reasons until she was unequivocally told, "There is nothing wrong with him. You are suffering from ‘singlechilditis.’”
Dr Katy Gandevia, former professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences who is working as project coordinator of the advocacy component of the Jiyo Parsi program, commented on the "high expectations of parents who want the best school and the best of everything” for their child because of which the fertility rate in the community is less than one. The average age at marriage being 27 for women and 30 for men, they think of starting a family only in their early 30s when their biological clock is ticking away. Yet another development is "the high rate of divorce that is really troubling us,” she said.
Citing projected figures of the community numbers dwindling to 34,000 by 2051 and to 19,382 by 2100 at the current decline of 12% per decade, Gandevia said "the primary objective of the Jiyo Parsi scheme is to help 150 to 200 couples to overcome fertility issues for the first/second/third child. The program is being conducted in two parts, with the initial stage being advocacy through counseling and outreach programs. The Jiyo Parsi team is visiting baugs and colonies in Bombay to spread the word. They are also taking the help of Sam Balsara, chairman and managing director of Madison World, to create a national campaign to cover Zoroastrians in the rest of India. Popular cinestar Boman Irani has consented to be their brand ambassador.
The next step is sanctioning aid for medical assistance after gynecologist Dr Anahita Pandole studies the medical history of the couple. Whilst originally the couples could only avail of help at government hospitals, they are now permitted to pursue treatment at other medical centers after their case is approved by one of the empanelled doctors. The government grant is to be used within five years, reminded Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee Armaity Tirandaz who is authorized to "authenticate genuineness” of the couple to ensure that "no one is out to make money.”

"Jiyo Parsi is not the be all and end all for those unable to conceive. This is only one aspect. The main issue is for parents to get their children married early,” asserted Federation president and BPP chairman Dinshaw Mehta. Supported Cama, "Be firm with your children. Don’t tell them ‘marriage can be your last priority.’” She referred to their efforts to promote matrimonial alliances under the Chaalo Kaaj Kariye (Let us matchmake) initiative that has met with only limited success and appealed to the anjuman representatives to send her two copies of their directories so that those single or married without issue can be directly approached by her team. "If you don’t come to us, we will come to you” is the approach they are adopting. Despite 30% of the Parsi population never marrying, Gandevia believed there is still hope for the community although one of the youngsters candidly said, "I don’t mind becoming a dinosaur. They died in grace.”
In the desperation to increase numbers, "the quality of Zoroastrians is being completely forgotten. Look at the kind of Zoroastrians we are bringing up today… I don’t see them becoming adventurous, entrepreneurs or going ahead in life,” regretted Cdre Medioma Bhada representing the Belgaum anjuman. Responded Cama, "If there is no quantity, how will you get quality?”
Subsequent to Bhada’s concern, Jamsheed Kanga representing the Satara anjuman opined, "Parsis seem to have become under-achievers… We are lacking in example. Earlier we used to look up to the trustees of the BPP. Today seven intelligent people cannot talk to each other in decent language… They have to learn not to be petty. To behave like adults, not children… You have been elected to lead the community and not defame it. Remember you are the akabars of the community, examples for the rest of the community.” Since Cama had earlier said a change in mindset is necessary, Kanga insisted, "A change in mindset is required not only in couples but also in the bigoted attitude of our leaders.” He was keen to know to know the statistics "of children (of outmarried) Parsi women lost to the community because we are going by the legal definition of a Parsi.”
Commented Cama, "We are cutting our nose to spite our face all the time...” Referring to her father, the late Lt Gen Adi Sethna working for the community when he was on oxygen in the Intensive Care Unit, she added, "We don’t need to wash dirty linen in public. This is the forum for us to talk.” She was impressed though that in her dealings with the BPP trustees, "everyone showed us maturity.” Responded Kanga, "They are so nice to you because you are so charming!”
By keeping out children of Zoroastrian women married to non-Parsis, "we are not losing thousands of children as is believed” but around 400 in 10 years, BPP trustee Khojeste Mistree cited the findings of Dr Zubin Shroff’s study at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Under the Return to Roots program promoted by Parzor, where young Zoroastrians from overseas were brought to India to familiarize them with their roots, the Track A program conducted in end 2013 was restricted to children of both Zoroastrian parents who compulsorily had to wear the sudreh kusti throughout the trip. Kurush Charna of Trail Blazer Tours gave the highlights of the tour in Bombay and Gujarat for which the program had been drawn up by Khojeste and Firoza Mistree. Track B which will be a religious cum cultural tour in March 2015 will be open even to navjoted children of outmarried Zoroastrian mothers as "I have to abide by the UN rule of gender equality,” said Cama. Plus such inclusiveness will also be "satisfying the FEZANA (Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America) and WZO (World Zoroastrian Organisation) conditions for funding.” Farzan Mazda of Dahanu outlined the activities he had planned to expose the group to a rural ambience.

Mistrust in Mhow
Post-lunch, the first contentious issue that erupted had its origins in a bilingual circular in English and Gujarati, distributed without the consent of the Federation president, by former Mhow resident Pervin Jehangir. She wrote: "Mhow is the first anjuman to sign the custodian trusteeship agreement in 1995. The FPZAI has become more active in the affairs of the anjuman since 2011 at the request of the community…Instead of the anjuman properties and assets being protected by such presence, we find that the FPZAI vice president (North Zone) and the president of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjuman, Mhow (PZAM) cum member selected onto the FPZAI executive council actually signed an MOU (memorandum of understanding) and accepted earnest money, alienating two trust properties measuring 13,128 sq ft at the standing price offered for one property — supposedly measuring approximately 6,000 sq ft… The said property was saved by the intervention of the Registrar of Public Trusts which led to the cancellation of the deal.” The introductory paragraph of the circular stated, "To avoid litigation of the type that the PZAM and the FPZAI are currently involved in, I strongly recommend that any anjuman considering signing the custodianship agreement must, before signing, become aware of the problems and issues, the handling of which has led to such an unfortunate state of affairs.”
Tehmton Anklesaria who as North Zone vice president takes his duties seriously by visiting the anjumans periodically to keep himself abreast of developments was incensed with Jehangir’s insinuations. As per his explanation, the property in question in the cantonment area of Mhow is over 100 years old which requires maintenance costs of seven to eight lakh rupees. The multi-storeyed building has a rental value of zero. They accepted the highest bid of Rs 4,01,51,000 for which Rs 40,00,000 as advance was accepted. Jehangir filed her objections with the Registrar and had the sale proposal dropped. "Unfortunately we are not able to do anything for the last four years... Non-Zarathoshtis will encroach and become owners,” feared Anklesaria, adding, "I am greatly satisfied with the performance of Mhow... They have a good team, very systematic. There is transparency in their accounts... On one side Parsis don’t come forward to work... for a trifling issue the lady has gone to the charity commissioner.”
Elaborated PZAM president Cyrus Mancherji, the democratic elections of 2011 which saw a new committee in place has "not been acceptable to Jehangir” who has in the last three years recorded several objections. He conceded that there was a lapse on their part in not listing the property to be sold as "13/14” Main Street and stating only "13 Main Street” as it is commonly referred to. However since the description clearly appertained to both the properties, Mancherji sought to explain that there was no fraudulent motive. "The shrewd, cunning politician that she is,” Jehangir has tried to show "as if she has done a great service to the Mhow anjuman. Actually she has done nothing more than use the veto power granted to every trustee” to stop a land sale. "She has misrepresented to the charity commissioner and courts in Madhya Pradesh...I am strong enough, honest and faithful to my creator. My support comes from my colleagues.”
Believing that "such divisive elements… need to be defeated” especially since her circular "now accuses the Federation structure for being complicit” with PZAM in a land transaction and implies that there is a legal battle facing these two bodies, Mancherji demanded, "Where is the litigation?” Responded Mehta, "We are working in complete unison with Mhow.” Jehangir’s attempt to address the Federation body was thwarted by Mehta: "You will not be permitted to speak anything about Mhow. You are representing Illav at this meeting.”

To be continued