A mirror to reality

The truth of Canadian communication theorist Marshal McLuhan’s maxim that the medium is the message was proved by the reprinting of the May 21, 2016 Parsiana editorial viewpoint "Building and breaking barriers" in the Mumbai Mirror (MM) daily of June 4. Normally our editorials initiate a sober, reasoned discussion from those involved and concerned about community issues. The publication’s views are well known and often stated so there are few surprises that would warrant any unusual outburst. A kind of uneasy peace prevails between the more liberal minded Parsis and those advocating the orthodox view.

But when the medium for conveying the magazine’s views shifted from a small community semi-monthly publication to a widely circulated (the second largest English language readership in Bombay) newspaper, the reaction from the orthodox camp was instant and choleric. Ervad Marzban Hathiram, one of the leading traditionalist spokesmen, in a lengthy article on his blog frashogard.com stated he received "non-stop messages from a stream of friends and colleagues" regarding the reprinted editorial. He alleged the editor "seemed to have jumped from the boundaries of his irrelevant magazine to the national media" in an attempt "to arouse, instigate and rabble-rouse the mindless crowd of curious onlookers...after having failed to achieve much within the community."

Hathiram alleges the liberals cannot comprehend why the traditionalists are "still flourishing. Why did only 15 hands out of 180 in a hall of 16-year-olds go up when asked whether they would marry outside the community? Why are female Parsis allowing themselves to be ‘discriminated’ against," etc. He therefore termed the Parsiana editorial "a cry of frustration, a wail of helplessness, a moan of resignation, a howl of indignation" and urged his readers to "send a box of tissues" to the editor "in sympathy of his great grief."

Hathiram attributes the orthodox groups’ staying power to initial Parsi immigrants asking the Sanjan monarch "for a very secluded place — a place so secluded that no non-Parsi could even hear what was going on (to) set up a most powerful spiritual institution — The Pav Mahel built around the Iranshah."

An R. F. Doctor writing on The Parsee Voice (TPV) blog notes "a few years ago the editor of Parsiana had a fairly balanced mind. Despite his heretical and destructive views, he would request the editor of TPV to continue presenting the orthodox views so that the community gets a ‘balanced’ picture. Of late there has been a complete volte face." Referring to the talk given by the Parsiana editor at the Holiday Programme for Youth (HPY), Doctor states that if the editor "insists on planting poisonous seeds in the impressionable minds of children, the final crop is going to be toxic."

One K. F. Keravala (name on email address) writing on the Ilm-e-Khshnoom Yahoo group reproduced a Tweet from Bharatiya Janata Party minister Gen V. K. Singh (retd) calling members of the Press "presstitutes," those who profess to be "unbiased" but in fact "tailor their news to suit someone’s goal."

A Sam Billimoria (name on email address) alleged money could have caused the "volte face" to which a Cursetjee (name on email) adds, "as long as mysterious funds continue to come from the Middle East, such attacks will continue...The day these funds dry up, (the) reformist lobby will wither away." But a Farokh Kolah interjects that the allegation of foreign funds entering the country is "baseless" and may "dry up the much needed funds coming to India from some well meaning Zarathushtees." The reason the traditionalists have been "losing ground to the reformists, day after day, month after month for the last 100 years is a lack of right education...false knowledge that is floating around, false priorities, false values (and) accepting inter-caste marriages...Our thoughts, our words and our deeds are not in tune with each other."

Referring to the rights of Parsi women married to non-Parsis and their progeny, a Jimmy Tavadia states on TPV blog that "while it is granted that inter-married Parsi men are being wrongly granted the privilege to enter our holy places of worship, it may be unequivocally understood that nature would make them pay for this sacrilege...Instead of suggesting corrective action (Parsiana) recommends that another wrong be committed by allowing inter-married Parsi women entry to our holy places of worship. Two wrongs do not make a right...and the solution you prescribe is worse than the diagnosis." Terming the editorial as "blasphemy," Tavadia enquires from the HPY organizers "why a deformist (sic) was allowed to talk at the HPY?"

Views contrary to the above writers’ were stated by liberal Parsis such as Farrokh Mehta and community activists Homi Dalal and Jamshed Salamati Irani. Mehta suggested, "Perhaps we can agree on one thing: That there is religion, there is religiosity, there are rituals — and the three do not mean the same thing." Dalal questioned Hathiram’s moral credentials to criticize others, while Irani noted that though a divine force created humankind, "It is man who made all the rules...the basic rules of good words, thoughts and deeds remain constant. Other ‘traditions, rites and ceremonies’ differ."

The intention of this editorial is not to debunk or belittle the traditionalist point of view. Rather it is to better understand their sentiments and arguments. On the one hand they acknowledge they are fighting a losing battle "day by day," but on the other hand while attempting to articulate what needs to be done, they are unable to state how they will set things right. Blogs and emails can only get you so far.

In the past there have been bodies such as the Committee of Vigilant Parsis and the Committee of United Zoroastrians that unsuccessfully contested the 1981 Bombay Parsi Punchayet Anjuman Committee elections, the moribund Council of High Priests, and publications such as Deen Parast, TPV, The WAPIZ Page and so on. Some of these bodies occasionally make their presence felt, then fall quiet. Why were and are none of them sustained in any meaningful form? Money was and is not a drawback. As a traditionalist writer, Hanoz, states on the Ilm-e-Khshnoom blog, "There is enough money in India to take care of the community’s problems."

Journalists in the general media are largely in favor of human rights, gender equality, freedom of worship and so on. That is why the MM approached Parsiana with a request to reprint the editorial to which we happily and readily gave our consent. We wanted our message to reach as many people as possible. In the West there is a debate between those who believe in the theory of evolution as espoused by the English naturalist Charles Darwin as versus the creationists, people who believe God created the world as stated in the Bible. But the argument of the creationists is sophisticated. Their spokespeople and literature come across as reasonable and convincing. They thoughtfully counter the arguments raised by the evolutionists.

If the Parsi traditionalists wish to be taken seriously they have to present a cohesive, persuasive and organized argument. They have to create platforms and institutions. They have to present documentation and scriptures to substantiate their arguments. They have to put in the required, sustained hard work and thought. They cannot be mere armchair conservatives, spouting out random thoughts and fanciful stories. Unless they demonstrate some tangible results, they will continue to remain on the margins of society.