The Planning Commission has not given "in-principle" nod to a Central government scheme aimed at containing the population decline of Parsi community, the government told the Lok Sabha today.
The National Family Health Survey reported that the fertility rate of the community for India is only 0.94.
"A scheme for containing population decline of small minority community was proposed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs for introduction in 2010-11. The Planning Commission has not accorded in-principle approval to the proposal," Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said in a written reply.
Citing the decennial census reports, the minister said the population of Parsi community has declined from 111,791 in 1951 to 76,382 in 1991 and then to 69,601 in 2001.
"National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) has reported a continuous decline in fertility across all communities.
However, while the total fertility (rate) for India is 2.7 and that of Parsis is 0.94," Khurshid said.
He said that the first report on religion data of Census of India 2001 in its brief analysis has stated that the Parsi population in India shows definite signs of decline and has suggested that "fertility improvement initiatives rather than fertility control measures adopted by the community so far are possibly the need of the hour before it reaches a point of no return."
Is it a drop in fertility, or are “Parsis” fed up of the bigotry, the darkness, the concocted histories, the fabricated religious texts, and have packed their bags and moved to more enlightened, progressive and inclusive societies in the West?
While the government has conducted a survey of how many “Parsis” are left in India, have they conducted a survey of how many “Parsis” have left India for greener pastures?
Do they have data of the increase in numbers of Zoroastrians in Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, Canada?
No matter what the government does, it is the aspiration of not just every “Parsi” but most Indians to flee the country the moment an opportunity presents itself, so the population will continue its downward spiral.
Is it a drop in fertility, or are “Parsis” fed up of the bigotry, the darkness, the concocted histories, the fabricated religious texts, and have packed their bags and moved to more enlightened, progressive and inclusive societies in the West?
While the government has conducted a survey of how many “Parsis” are left in India, have they conducted a survey of how many “Parsis” have left India for greener pastures?
Do they have data of the increase in numbers of Zoroastrians in Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, Canada?
No matter what the government does, it is the aspiration of not just every “Parsi” but most Indians to flee the country the moment an opportunity presents itself, so the population will continue its downward spiral.
@Barak Aga: Parsis are feeling but only to the West. They are fleeing to Hong Kong, Singapore and other places in Asia as well.
However many of us in the West are returning or may return to India due to lack of jobs and contracting economies. That does not mean we plan to go back to prostrating to the BPP. Forget that. No. Instead we will form our own societies. Who needs to belong to a group that is on the verge of dying out?
As you stated, the numbers of Parsis in North America and other places are growing. However this is not just due to immigration but also due to intermarriage, when the children from such marriages are welcomed into the community. So are the spouses, for that matter.
So to hell with the bigotry of the BPP and the Indian Mella Mojah Clique. We will grow and be strong everywhere!
@Barak Aga: Parsis are feeling but only to the West. They are fleeing to Hong Kong, Singapore and other places in Asia as well.
However many of us in the West are returning or may return to India due to lack of jobs and contracting economies. That does not mean we plan to go back to prostrating to the BPP. Forget that. No. Instead we will form our own societies. Who needs to belong to a group that is on the verge of dying out?
As you stated, the numbers of Parsis in North America and other places are growing. However this is not just due to immigration but also due to intermarriage, when the children from such marriages are welcomed into the community. So are the spouses, for that matter.
So to hell with the bigotry of the BPP and the Indian Mella Mojah Clique. We will grow and be strong everywhere!
Siloomai,
Of course there is a fringe group with obsession for preference to be wiped out thjan survive but that does not form actual majority. The reral majority are on sidelines but as they say there is misconception in the minds of actual majority that our own fundamentalists are in majority because of unabated propaganda machinery available at their disposal.
Miss Kapadia, the BPP cannot even be termed ‘bigots’.
They are pseudo-bigots.
Bigots are honest to what they believe in. With the BPP it is quite the contrary.
Last heard, there is a BPP trustee who organised a matrimonial meet, and exhorted the youth to “marry within the faith”, whereas her own daugther married a Mohammedan.
And then there’s a trustee who’s sister is married to a Mohammedan.
Recently there was a scandal exposed in South India. A “Marriage Jehad”, where Mohammedan Jihadis were marrying Hindu girls solely for the purpose of converting them to Islam.
Wonder whether our worthies have sold out too.
The BPP has not done anything meaningful in a long time.
Once the buildings in the colonies are demolished, highrises with duplex apartments constructed, and the communities real estate assets milked, it will be goodbye BPP, for these opportunistic and career politicians.
The WAPIZ and the pseudo-orthodox are like the various “Senas” in Mumbai, pretending to espouse the cause of the local Mumbaikar, and milking their support for pecuniary gain.
The Zoroastrian community needs leadership like the Jews had. The leaders of the Jewish community carved out a homeland for them.
Dinshaw Mehta and the WAPIZ only flex their muscles in India.
If they have the guts let them go to Iran, where they claim that Zoroastrianism originated, and set up the seat of Zoroastrianism there.
Most surprising that these pseudo-Iranians are scared to enter in to the country of their ancestors to protect their faith.
In Iran, non-Zoroastrians routinely enter fire temples with video cameras.
If the BPP and the WAPIZ have the courage, let them go to Iran and try and stop a Muslim from entering a Zoroastrian Fire Temple.
The Mullahs will send them straight to “Chinvat” Bridge, and from there to “Ahriman”.
Credit goes to Ervan Madon, and an aged lady Miss Meher Master Moos for having the courage to visit the Zoroastrian lands, and to endeavour to spread Zoroastrianism.
For all the chest thumping by the BPP and the WAPIZ, a humble priest and an old lady have outdone and outshone them.
Siloomai,
Of course there is a fringe group with obsession for preference to be wiped out thjan survive but that does not form actual majority. The reral majority are on sidelines but as they say there is misconception in the minds of actual majority that our own fundamentalists are in majority because of unabated propaganda machinery available at their disposal.
Miss Kapadia, the BPP cannot even be termed ‘bigots’.
They are pseudo-bigots.
Bigots are honest to what they believe in. With the BPP it is quite the contrary.
Last heard, there is a BPP trustee who organised a matrimonial meet, and exhorted the youth to “marry within the faith”, whereas her own daugther married a Mohammedan.
And then there’s a trustee who’s sister is married to a Mohammedan.
Recently there was a scandal exposed in South India. A “Marriage Jehad”, where Mohammedan Jihadis were marrying Hindu girls solely for the purpose of converting them to Islam.
Wonder whether our worthies have sold out too.
The BPP has not done anything meaningful in a long time.
Once the buildings in the colonies are demolished, highrises with duplex apartments constructed, and the communities real estate assets milked, it will be goodbye BPP, for these opportunistic and career politicians.
The WAPIZ and the pseudo-orthodox are like the various “Senas” in Mumbai, pretending to espouse the cause of the local Mumbaikar, and milking their support for pecuniary gain.
The Zoroastrian community needs leadership like the Jews had. The leaders of the Jewish community carved out a homeland for them.
Dinshaw Mehta and the WAPIZ only flex their muscles in India.
If they have the guts let them go to Iran, where they claim that Zoroastrianism originated, and set up the seat of Zoroastrianism there.
Most surprising that these pseudo-Iranians are scared to enter in to the country of their ancestors to protect their faith.
In Iran, non-Zoroastrians routinely enter fire temples with video cameras.
If the BPP and the WAPIZ have the courage, let them go to Iran and try and stop a Muslim from entering a Zoroastrian Fire Temple.
The Mullahs will send them straight to “Chinvat” Bridge, and from there to “Ahriman”.
Credit goes to Ervan Madon, and an aged lady Miss Meher Master Moos for having the courage to visit the Zoroastrian lands, and to endeavour to spread Zoroastrianism.
For all the chest thumping by the BPP and the WAPIZ, a humble priest and an old lady have outdone and outshone them.
Dear Barak,
The examples of family members of BPP Trustees married out of Parsee fold given by you are incomplete.
A female Trustee’s own blood sister embraced Judaism and yet she entered a Dadar Agiary some years back in tow with her sister who is now the Trustee.
Similarly, the blood brother of a WAPIZ backed Trustee is married to a Christian.
In Gujarati there is a saying, which translated means that an elephant has one set of teeth for eating and another for chewing. Very apt simile for our white elephants who show off their Parsipanu by wearing Pugrees and Phentas.
Dear Barak,
The examples of family members of BPP Trustees married out of Parsee fold given by you are incomplete.
A female Trustee’s own blood sister embraced Judaism and yet she entered a Dadar Agiary some years back in tow with her sister who is now the Trustee.
Similarly, the blood brother of a WAPIZ backed Trustee is married to a Christian.
In Gujarati there is a saying, which translated means that an elephant has one set of teeth for eating and another for chewing. Very apt simile for our white elephants who show off their Parsipanu by wearing Pugrees and Phentas.