Readers' Forum
Religion by birth
In the legal battle of Goolrookh Gupta (pictured) that is currently in the limelight, the most important point to remember is that although she got her husband’s surname after marriage, her religion is still the one she got by birth. As declared by the Supreme 
Court, "DNA does not evaporate (or change) after marrying outside.” Her religion would change only if she opts to change it.
There is no law which says that a woman loses her religious identity after marrying a man from another faith. Moreover, the Special Marriage Act states that two persons can marry and maintain their respective religious identities. Since the above law applies to Indian women of any religion, it would obviously apply to Zoroastrian women in India too.
Moreover, stopping a person from entering a place of worship and fulfilling his/her devotion to the almighty is definitely an atheistic act, made even more disgraceful when undertaken by the so-called religious heads/caretakers of our community.
When our community is taking all possible measures to increase its size and avoid its depletion and possible extinction, depriving a Zoroastrian from entering a place of worship and attending the last rites of her beloved ones, and thus indirectly alienating her from our community, is the most dreadful act. By debarring her from entering the fire temple and Tower of Silence, the authorities of the Valsad Parsi Anjuman seem to be punishing her for marrying outside the community, something extremely unethical.
Let us pray that some good sense prevails and the authorities of the Valsad Parsi Anjuman and all the traditional sections of our community realize their blunder and make the necessary rectifications so that no other Goolrookh need face such discrimination in the future.
KAIZAD B. IRANI
Poona
Court, "DNA does not evaporate (or change) after marrying outside.” Her religion would change only if she opts to change it.There is no law which says that a woman loses her religious identity after marrying a man from another faith. Moreover, the Special Marriage Act states that two persons can marry and maintain their respective religious identities. Since the above law applies to Indian women of any religion, it would obviously apply to Zoroastrian women in India too.
Moreover, stopping a person from entering a place of worship and fulfilling his/her devotion to the almighty is definitely an atheistic act, made even more disgraceful when undertaken by the so-called religious heads/caretakers of our community.
When our community is taking all possible measures to increase its size and avoid its depletion and possible extinction, depriving a Zoroastrian from entering a place of worship and attending the last rites of her beloved ones, and thus indirectly alienating her from our community, is the most dreadful act. By debarring her from entering the fire temple and Tower of Silence, the authorities of the Valsad Parsi Anjuman seem to be punishing her for marrying outside the community, something extremely unethical.
Let us pray that some good sense prevails and the authorities of the Valsad Parsi Anjuman and all the traditional sections of our community realize their blunder and make the necessary rectifications so that no other Goolrookh need face such discrimination in the future.
KAIZAD B. IRANI
Poona
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