How the mighty have fallen

Seldom in a week have so many major community developments occurred. On July 24, 2016 the West Zone B representatives on the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) were told at the meeting held in Valsad that utilization of doongerwadi lands for burial purposes was ill advised and to be avoided (see "The sun is there," pg 64). The next day the Government of India (GoI) census department released the devastating Parsi population figures from the 2011 census: 57,264, a drop of 18% from the 2001 figure of 69,601. On July 29 the WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis) Page alleged it had proof that former Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Dinshaw Mehta had sought part cash payment for a tenancy transfer at the BPP owned Dady House. On July 30 the Parsi Times (PT) carried an announcement that they were taking over the management of the 184-year-old Jam-e-Jamshed (JJ) publication.

The disposal of the dead, the declining numbers, the charges of financial impropriety and management changes in the media are not new developments. But the local, national and international media chose to focus on what they viewed as the most alarming and newsworthy: the precipitous drop in numbers. In comparison to that steep fall, everything else pales in comparison.

Parzor director Dr Shernaz Cama who spearheaded the GoI promoted Jiyo Parsi program aimed at increasing numbers, noted in a message, "With the census results out we have to work much harder and encourage and support and help our young to find partners... Most importantly we must collectively and consciously realize the urgency...to save a precious world heritage from disappearing." But tragically that heritage pertains only to the offspring of Parsi fathers, not mothers if they have married out of the faith. As blogger and Secunderabad-Hyderabad anjuman trustee Jehangir Bisney commented, "when faith is sacrificed for ethnicity, the outcome is there for all to see."

The attitude of the traditionalists has always been: "We want quality, not quantity." But with the Parsis slowly fading out from all spheres of public and professional life, the community is falling behind in both areas.

Our fire temples are bereft of priests. At the FPZAI meet, the president of the Bilimora anjuman bemoaned the loss of his priest to Nagpur which offered higher emoluments. And that too with the muktad prayers in memory of the dead fast approaching. Other small anjumans sought assistance from larger ones to subsidize the salaries of their priests. A trustee from Bharuch spoke of one priest traveling to four agiaries in a day and performing 20 boi ceremonies.

The joint management of the PT and the JJ is another sign that the viability of community publications is in question. As it is, the JJ went from a daily to a weekly on account of economics. How long professionally run, independent publications can remain commercially viable is questionable. Even Parsiana’s ownership will change from a private limited company to a Section 8, not for profit entity, in an effort to garner funds from trusts which otherwise may not donate to a commercial enterprise.

The community is attempting to cope with each crisis as and when it arises. The census figures have shown a declining fertility from the 1850s. A negative growth rate was recorded after 1940 (1,14,890). Now the fall has intensified. A report in The Times of India (TOI)of July 26 by Nergish Sunavala highlighting the census figures states, "the population in Maharashtra has fallen by 9,885." Gujarat has shown a decline of 1,867. When asked to comment on the figures, BPP chairman Yazdi Desai told the daily, "When we came to India we were not more than 2,500 but we grew to 69,601." He added, "these (2011) figures also don’t take into account migration to foreign countries."

No one knows how many Zoroastrians initially came to India. They came in driblets over land and sea as traders and then found India a conducive place to do business. Their numbers probably grew through subsequent migrations from Iran and by marriage with the local population. Today most Iranian Zoroastrians, given a choice, migrate to the West, or remain in Iran. India is not a destination of choice. The worldwide community, including the Zoroastrians in Iran (around 24,000) number a little over 1,00,000.

A reader questioned if the collection of data by the census enumerators was accurate as some of them may not be knowledgeable about Parsis or Zoroastrains. But steps had been taken to sensitize the field workers, and even if the figures are marginally off, the trend has been consistent over the past 160 or so years.

But if the community leadership cannot come to grips with reality what hope is there of coping with the falling numbers? Even in Valsad it was depressing to sit through a half-day discussion on doongerwadi with a high priest, the BPP chairman and a former BPP trustee all stating the virtues of dakhmenashini and turning down pleas for permitting people to be buried on doongerwadi grounds. They believed the system could be fixed, sunlight was there. The religion was important, the individual was not. Desai went as far as to say he followed the high priests "blindly," even to the extent of agreeing with them if they said it was light when it was dark.

In contrast, the Christians are permitting even their priests to be cremated due to the shortage of land for graves. They have adopted a practical approach, keeping in mind ground realities and individual preferences. Even coffins are being done away with in some places in favor of shrouds.

The TOI of August 1 carried a column by Gautam Bhatia titled, "Mr Prime Minister, now’s the time to have a ministry of the future." The writer noted, "Five years ago, the Swedish government set up a department whose only concern was the future." Parsi governing bodies are still looking at the past. Hence the future eludes them.