Disposal with dignity

There was a time when those who believed in imposing their concepts of religious tenets mocked at rationalists about making alternative arrangements for a bungli to perform last rites for those who did not opt for dakhmenashini. These persons used the sentence "put your money where your mouth is.”

The Prayer Hall at Worli, established in August 2015, has come as a slap on the face of such tyrants.
As per Parsiana’s statistics, during the quarter ended December 2015, the Worli Prayer Hall was patronized by 33 families. The corresponding figure for those consigned at the Tower of Silence for the same period was 229. Thus, around 14.41% of Parsis opted for cremation in the last quarter of 2015. This is more than double the earlier percentage (5.67%) of Parsis opting for cremation in the year 2014. This percentage will go up in the months to come when more community members become aware of the facilities available at Worli. The loss of income caused to Doongerwadi will increase the financial losses of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet.
These statistics amply establish that all members of our community are not blind followers of the diktats of fundamentalists and believe in a dignified manner of disposal of the dead.
My thanks to all those responsible for creating the arrangements at Worli, which the community had been earlier deprived of by those who behave as if their own forefathers had established all the existing religious institutions.

HOMI DALAL
homeedalal@gmail.com