Parsis petition Centre for survival

Date

May 15, 2012

Post by

arZan

Category

Issues

The Parsis are a demographically declining community on the cusp of near extinction. This is what Keki Daruwalla, Sahitya Akademi award-winning poet and a member of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), wrote to the Planning Commission (PC).

By Anurag Kumar Chaubey & Kshitiz Shaminit Tirkey | DNA India

Alarmed by the drastic fall in India’s Parsi population, Daruwalla, in his two-page letter to PC member Dr Syeda Hameed, has highlighted the census figures which show that the number of Parsis in 1941, which was 1,14,890, almost halved to 69,601 by 2001.

Daruwalla organised a meeting with PC members on April 12 to discuss the “demographic peril” his community is facing. He has sought Hameed’s help to get approval for several urgent measures recommended by the working committee of the Union ministry of minority affairs.

The committee has recommended that the central government should study the community’s problems and come out with schemes accordingly which will be funded completely by the Centre and it should specifically target the “married, childless couples” as well as the girl child within the community to arrest the decline in population.

Enlisting the help of two Parsi researchers from Harvard, Zubin Shroff and Dinyar Patel, Daruwala said this decline is because of sociological issues not biological.In his paper, Patel notes that the “dramatic fall in fertility rates” is “social and behavioural”. According to him, Parsis marrying late or not marrying at all are the main reasons for the fall in fertility rate.

“We can’t do much about the sociological factors, but we can help the infertile couples by introducing certain schemes,” Daruwalla said.

Citing the schemes undertaken by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) as examples, Daruwalla said the BPP has already started counselling infertile couples, and also set up clinics so that they can avail the required medical facilities. He has requested central funding for these schemes so that they can be implemented on a national scale. According to the committee report, funding infertility clinics will cost the Centre a modest Rs20 crore.

Daruwalla has requested the PC to accept the committee’s recommendations immediately and include them in the 12th plan, which started in April 2012. The report shows that the recommendations were earlier sent for inclusion in the 11th plan. However, the PC had “declined” in-principle approval then.

37 Comments

  1. Sohrab Kamdin

    The Mhow Parsee population  in  1950 was about 500 families. Today it is down to 50. Most of the good accomodation was owned by Parsees especially the Bungalows. The Mhow  Cantt. Board & the DEO  are still invoking the old British Laws from 1815. This has been one of the reasons for the decline of The Parsee population as the younger generation have left Mhow  to seek their fortunes well away from Mhow. The most recent case is that of 52 Mall Road Mhow where a freehold plus a FEE SIMPLE property was taken over by sending over 30 well armed jawans to evict the inmates. The owner is a Parsee ! Not a penny has been paid to the landlord to date!.

  2. Sohrab Kamdin

    The Mhow Parsee population  in  1950 was about 500 families. Today it is down to 50. Most of the good accomodation was owned by Parsees especially the Bungalows. The Mhow  Cantt. Board & the DEO  are still invoking the old British Laws from 1815. This has been one of the reasons for the decline of The Parsee population as the younger generation have left Mhow  to seek their fortunes well away from Mhow. The most recent case is that of 52 Mall Road Mhow where a freehold plus a FEE SIMPLE property was taken over by sending over 30 well armed jawans to evict the inmates. The owner is a Parsee ! Not a penny has been paid to the landlord to date!.

  3. Sohrab Kamdin

    The Mhow Parsee population  in  1950 was about 500 families. Today it is down to 50. Most of the good accomodation was owned by Parsees especially the Bungalows. The Mhow  Cantt. Board & the DEO  are still invoking the old British Laws from 1815. This has been one of the reasons for the decline of The Parsee population as the younger generation have left Mhow  to seek their fortunes well away from Mhow. The most recent case is that of 52 Mall Road Mhow where a freehold plus a FEE SIMPLE property was taken over by sending over 30 well armed jawans to evict the inmates. The owner is a Parsee ! Not a penny has been paid to the landlord to date!.

  4. Phiroze

    Use the RTI to collect all relevant facts and then approach the courts.

  5. xyz

    what is the latest census figures of parsis in india – city wise ??

  6. Phiroze

    Use the RTI to collect all relevant facts and then approach the courts.

  7. Phiroze

    Use the RTI to collect all relevant facts and then approach the courts.

  8. xyz

    what is the latest census figures of parsis in india – city wise ??

  9. xyz

    what is the latest census figures of parsis in india – city wise ??

  10. Siloo Kapadia

    “We can’t do much about the sociological factors, but we can help the infertile couples by introducing certain schemes,” Daruwalla said.”

    What rubbish!  Of course we can do something about the sociological problems; we can stop all this nonsense of not allowing people into the religion, we can welcome the non-Parsi spouses of Parsis, and we can do more to incorporate the children of Parsi-non-Parsi couples.  Yes, there are things that we can do BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    That would mean giving up the Nazi-like notion that Parsis are special racially. Naturally that would mean abandoning the idea that we are not really Indians but “Persians,” (not that most of really really believe that rot to begin with).  And, it would mean the end of the backward hedgemony of the BPP clique. 

    Yes, there are many things we can do to help the community in India grow.  Of course we cannot force Parsi women to marry and we cannot grab Parsi men by their samosas and drag them into their bedrooms and force them to mate either.  No, that we cannot do.  But we can use the obvious ways I have mentioned above.  That will bring the population up by at least a few thousand if not by many more than that. 
     
     

  11. Siloo Kapadia

    “We can’t do much about the sociological factors, but we can help the infertile couples by introducing certain schemes,” Daruwalla said.”

    What rubbish!  Of course we can do something about the sociological problems; we can stop all this nonsense of not allowing people into the religion, we can welcome the non-Parsi spouses of Parsis, and we can do more to incorporate the children of Parsi-non-Parsi couples.  Yes, there are things that we can do BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    That would mean giving up the Nazi-like notion that Parsis are special racially. Naturally that would mean abandoning the idea that we are not really Indians but “Persians,” (not that most of really really believe that rot to begin with).  And, it would mean the end of the backward hedgemony of the BPP clique. 

    Yes, there are many things we can do to help the community in India grow.  Of course we cannot force Parsi women to marry and we cannot grab Parsi men by their samosas and drag them into their bedrooms and force them to mate either.  No, that we cannot do.  But we can use the obvious ways I have mentioned above.  That will bring the population up by at least a few thousand if not by many more than that. 
     
     

  12. Siloo Kapadia

    “We can’t do much about the sociological factors, but we can help the infertile couples by introducing certain schemes,” Daruwalla said.”

    What rubbish!  Of course we can do something about the sociological problems; we can stop all this nonsense of not allowing people into the religion, we can welcome the non-Parsi spouses of Parsis, and we can do more to incorporate the children of Parsi-non-Parsi couples.  Yes, there are things that we can do BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    That would mean giving up the Nazi-like notion that Parsis are special racially. Naturally that would mean abandoning the idea that we are not really Indians but “Persians,” (not that most of really really believe that rot to begin with).  And, it would mean the end of the backward hedgemony of the BPP clique. 

    Yes, there are many things we can do to help the community in India grow.  Of course we cannot force Parsi women to marry and we cannot grab Parsi men by their samosas and drag them into their bedrooms and force them to mate either.  No, that we cannot do.  But we can use the obvious ways I have mentioned above.  That will bring the population up by at least a few thousand if not by many more than that. 
     
     

  13. Phiroze

    Yeah, accept all and sundry and end up like the zoroastrians of China. “HISTORY” to be researched after a few decades. Stupid Siloo.

  14. Phiroze

    Yeah, accept all and sundry and end up like the zoroastrians of China. “HISTORY” to be researched after a few decades. Stupid Siloo.

  15. Phiroze

    Yeah, accept all and sundry and end up like the zoroastrians of China. “HISTORY” to be researched after a few decades. Stupid Siloo.

  16. Sohrab Kamdin

    0 compared to the whole of India. 99o/o of Indians including the minorities DO NOT KNOW who are Parsee Zorastrians with Bombay being an exception!!!!!!!!!

  17. Sohrab Kamdin

    I do not think that I’ll live that long to see the final judgment as I am Already over 81 years old.

  18. Sohrab Kamdin

    I do not think that I’ll live that long to see the final judgment as I am Already over 81 years old.

  19. Sohrab Kamdin

    I do not think that I’ll live that long to see the final judgment as I am Already over 81 years old.

  20. Sohrab Kamdin

    I do not think that I’ll live that long to see the final judgment as I am Already over 81 years old.

  21. Sohrab Kamdin

    There are other factors at play for Parsees living away from the Metros

  22. Sohrab Kamdin

    There are other factors at play for Parsees living away from the Metros

  23. Sohrab Kamdin

    There are other factors at play for Parsees living away from the Metros

  24. Sohrab Kamdin

    Done that. The Army lawyer tries to avoid the hearings & this is going to the cause for delays for disposing off the case after many years!!. Communication from my own lawyer.

  25. Sohrab Kamdin

    Been there, done that.

  26. Sohrab Kamdin

    Done that. The Army lawyer tries to avoid the hearings & this is going to the cause for delays for disposing off the case after many years!!. Communication from my own lawyer.

  27. Sohrab Kamdin

    Done that. The Army lawyer tries to avoid the hearings & this is going to the cause for delays for disposing off the case after many years!!. Communication from my own lawyer.

  28. Sohrab Kamdin

    Been there, done that.

  29. Sohrab Kamdin

    Been there, done that.

  30. Phiroze Panthaki

    File a motion so that the case is heard and the lawyer is forced to be present.

  31. Phiroze Panthaki

    File a motion so that the case is heard and the lawyer is forced to be present.

  32. Phiroze Panthaki

    File a motion so that the case is heard and the lawyer is forced to be present.

  33. Sohrab Kamdin

    Thanks for the advice. Will contact my lawyer again. The property is worth Crores (3.77 acres with 3 Bungalows, 10 outhouses, 2 garages, Tube Well etc.) The land also belongs to the Owner as per Registered deeds of the Govt. & the property is FEE SIMPLE.!

  34. Sohrab Kamdin

    Thanks for the advice. Will contact my lawyer again. The property is worth Crores (3.77 acres with 3 Bungalows, 10 outhouses, 2 garages, Tube Well etc.) The land also belongs to the Owner as per Registered deeds of the Govt. & the property is FEE SIMPLE.!

  35. Sohrab Kamdin

    The Courts in Mhow have already been approached. My lawyer tells me that that the Army lawyer does not attend the hearings – a common practice as observed by the Supreme court.

  36. Sohrab Kamdin

    I have the relevant facts which are far superior than the RTI. The RTI is a comparatively new Instrument for information.I have the correct & stamped (GOVT) information from 1935 !. It’s just that the DEO doesn’t want to co-operate & wants to push his own agenda. !.As is the normal practice, DEOs & the Cantt. Boards never reply.

  37. Sohrab Kamdin

    Thanks for the advice. Small towns like Mhow are controlled by the Army i.e. TWO power centres – the central govt, the local cantonment (changing rules like a camelion) & the Army fossilised rules borrowed the Brirish e.g. OLD GRANT etc.