The return of vultures to the Kolkata sky after a three-year gap has delighted the Parsi community in Kolkata despairing of the loss of their traditional way of disposing the deceased. The vultures’ reappearance has been particularly welcomed by lone Parsi activist Dhan Baria who has been pursuing an alternative to leaving the dead on… Continue reading Kolkata: Parsis delighted with the vultures’ return
Category: Issues
Who are they talking to?
Dr. Kersey Antia was in the Zoroastrian news recently, for better or for worse. In fact, the officers at the Colaba Police Station will also tell you who he is. Dr. Antia came to Mumbai to proliferate and zealously canvass for conversion into the Zoroastrian faith. He purportedly has his degrees and his knowledge. He… Continue reading Who are they talking to?
Vultures on the brink
The Indian government has a big job on its hands. It is accused today of ‘overseeing’ the decline of tigers. Another iconic creature, the vulture, is also on the brink of extinction and the government is now under pressure to do more to help. Three species of vulture have crashed in number by 99 per… Continue reading Vultures on the brink
Migrants, your grunts, everyone’s stunts
by Bachi Karkaria in the Times of India I cannot promise to raise a statue of Shivaji in Dadar Parsi Colony. But, in the ultimate cultural surrender, I hereby change my surname to Karkare. Many years ago I got a grubby postcard with a handwritten scrawl. It said, “We have noted you are using word… Continue reading Migrants, your grunts, everyone’s stunts
Open up to world, Zoroastrians told
Original article published in the TOI He is a man of peace. But whenever he dwells upon the crisis that has begun to loom large over the Zoroastrian community in terms of their dwindling numbers, the reactions he evokes are just short of extreme rage. That’s because Dasturji Dr Kersey Antia is of the firm… Continue reading Open up to world, Zoroastrians told
Orthodox Parsis heckle liberal’s talk
This article appeared in the TOI. The controversy over acceptance of Parsis from mixed marriages into the Zoroastrian fold blew up on Saturday as the orthodox sections of the community disrupted and heckled a talk by Kersey Antia, a priest from the US who preaches freedom of choice for all those who want to accept… Continue reading Orthodox Parsis heckle liberal’s talk
Parsi community caught in contradiction
Paris community is caught in a contradiction, a community whose numbers are fast dwindling but is adamant on shutting its doors on the children of mixed marriages. It is an old debate that has resurfaced with a group of liberals trying yet again to coax orthodox Parsis to allow the children of intermarriages to practice… Continue reading Parsi community caught in contradiction
Liberal Parsis take on the orthodox
The Parsi community is set for a showdown with liberals taking on the orthodox, demanding that non-Parsis who have married into the community — and their children — be allowed to convert to the faith. With a population of 69,000 according to the 2001 census, the community is the country’s fastest dwindling minority group. This… Continue reading Liberal Parsis take on the orthodox
The great Parsi population plan
By Farrukh Dhondy Finally the Indian National Council for Minorities (NCM) has got around to what should be one of the central problems facing the country. A member of the Commission, one Mehroo Dhunjisha Bengalee, has mooted the question of the dwindling Parsi population. A little history: The Arab-Muslim explosion of 714 AD overtook Parsi-Zoroastrian… Continue reading The great Parsi population plan
