Revision as of 15:09, 17 October 2015

Parsis of Delhi

The Times of India, Sep 05 2015

Dharvi Vaid

Film screening unites Delhi's Parsis

The story of the community in Delhi has been somewhat different. Its Parsi community is small -it has only around 700 members. But it took steps nearly 45 years ago to arrest the drastic slide in its numbers. Its city association, the Delhi Parsi Anjuman, allowed inter-community marriages way back in the 1970s. It was probably the first anjuman to do so. “We allowed non-Parsi spouses to be members of the anjuman,“ says Adil Nargolwala, honorary secretary of the anjuman who is married to a non-Parsi.

Today , around 40% of Delhi's Parsis marry outside their community . Children from all such marriages are allowed into the Zoroastrian faith, of fered scholarships and other benefits and are free to participate in the community's cultural activities. Other anjumans only allow this if the father is a Parsi. “The most important thing today is for communities to live together in peace,“ says Dadi E Mistry , patron at the city anjuman.

Nargolwala points out that in cities like Mumbai, Pune and parts of Gujarat, the rules governing marriage and rituals are far more stringently applied. But Delhi has fewer Parsis and they are scattered around the city . This makes it possible to be more liberal with rules governing family life. “It is hard to find a Parsi spouse in Delhi today . Our social circles include people from all communities. You are quite likely to marry a non-Parsi in this situation,“ says Nargolwala.

The anjuman is also making an effort to sensitize younger Parsis to their religion and culture. There are occasional classes on Zoroastrian history and camps for children. “In our time our grandmothers used to teach us about our history and culture.Now we host groups of younger Parsis once every six weeks,“ says Mistry .

Novy Kapadia, a sports journalist and a Delhi University teacher, has seen the drop in numbers over time. “In the 1960s when I was in school, there were around 1,500 Parsis. The Zoroastrian community in Delhi has been very progressive and continues to be so. The massive decline in numbers is also because a lot of the younger generation has migrated to Canada, Australia and the US in search for better opportunities.“ he says.

Parsis of Mumbai

Poverty

[ From the archives of the Times of India]

Rosy Sequeira TNN

A poor Parsi: One who earns below 50,000/m

The Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) told the Bombay high court that it considers a Parsi who earns less than Rs 50,000 a month to be “poor” and hence eligible for allotment of a flat at subsidized rent. A division bench of Justices P B Majmudar and Ramesh Dhanuka was hearing a petition filed by RohintonTaraporewala against BPP. Taraporewala, who is in his 60s, lives in Tarapur. He has contended in his plea that he is “poor and eligible’’ for housing, but BPP has allotted flats at PanthakyBaug in Andheri to people who are “richer” than him. He also said that he and his wife are ailing and have to live in Mumbai to avail of medical treatment.

When the matter came up for hearing, Taraporewala’s lawyer was not present. BPP advocate Percy Gandhi said a copy of the petition had not been served to his client. “He is not poor and has moved court because he was not allotted a flat at PanthakyBaug. He is very rich and has acres of land. These flats are for the poor and needy,’’ said Gandhi. To a query from the judges as to who is defined as poor by the BPP, Gandhi replied, “A person earning income below Rs 50,000 a month is regarded as poor.’’ Justice Majmudar remarked, “We have not come across any poor Parsi.” On October 15, 2009, the high court allowed BPP to sell 108 flats at PanthakyBaug at rates approved by the Charity Commissioner to crosssubsidize housing for needy Parsis. Some 300 flats are to be constructed and given on a merit-rating scheme. Gandhi submitted that the108 flats “are to be sold to poor Parsis’’ and as Taraporewala is “not poor”, he was not allotted a flat. The judges have adjourned the matter for two weeks.

The Bombay Parsi Punchayet told the Bombay HC that it considers a Parsi who earns less than Rs 50,000 a month to be “poor” and hence eligible for allotment of a flat at subsidized rent