Sam Balsara of Madison Advertising is putting together a presentation for the World Zoroastrian Congress in Dubai at the end of this year. As part of that he would like as many Zoroastrians to fill out a survey that will help him analyze current trends and thought process and lead to an analysis/brainstorming session.
The survey has been put together by Dina Mehta, a good friend. In an email announcement Dina writes
Hemant and I’ve been helping Sam Balsara of Madison Advertising develop this survey. It’s for Zoroastrians and Parsis all over the world, and is intended to guide the development of a blueprint for the future of our community, findings of which he will share at the World Zoroastrian Congress in December.
The survey can be accessed here. Please fill it out and also pass on this link to others. The more people taking the survey, the more accurate a picture.
Hello,
I filled 1st question of the Zoroastrian survey & stopped….because the survey ignores many Parsees who do not/did not live in 7 or 8 listed places…..
Do the folks organizing this know how large the parsee community in Nagpur was & still is? Do they know Jamshedji Tata’s first industrial enterprise was Empress Mills that was built in Nagpur? The Nagpur Electric company was formed & run by Parsees………..Please request these folks to add Nagpur in the list or allow folks to write the town they grew up in……till then….sorry I cannot participate in this limited survey!!
Hello,
I filled 1st question of the Zoroastrian survey & stopped….because the survey ignores many Parsees who do not/did not live in 7 or 8 listed places…..
Do the folks organizing this know how large the parsee community in Nagpur was & still is? Do they know Jamshedji Tata’s first industrial enterprise was Empress Mills that was built in Nagpur? The Nagpur Electric company was formed & run by Parsees………..Please request these folks to add Nagpur in the list or allow folks to write the town they grew up in……till then….sorry I cannot participate in this limited survey!!
Though Mr Bulsara is doing a great job…Kudos to him and his team!!! yet i found it tooo long and tedious… besides i also found it very repetitive…
Secondly, it didnot cover important issues facing the community… maybe some of us would like to give our opinions on controversies surrounding disposal of dead bodies and mix marriages, besides other issues…Why not have a fair survey on those issues too??
Though Mr Bulsara is doing a great job…Kudos to him and his team!!! yet i found it tooo long and tedious… besides i also found it very repetitive…
Secondly, it didnot cover important issues facing the community… maybe some of us would like to give our opinions on controversies surrounding disposal of dead bodies and mix marriages, besides other issues…Why not have a fair survey on those issues too??
I agree. Many of the questions are repeated in one form or another. I did, however, finish it, then had to take a rest.
I agree. Many of the questions are repeated in one form or another. I did, however, finish it, then had to take a rest.
Survey is too long. Its difficult to complete all in one go and submit. There should be ‘SAVE’ and ‘RESTART’ facility.
Survey is too long. Its difficult to complete all in one go and submit. There should be ‘SAVE’ and ‘RESTART’ facility.
Simple question, what will be the end result of the survey even if 25,000 Parsees particpate.(though that is not possible).As far as Bombay goes, there is no hope with present set of Akaabars not at least till 2015 and there are trends towards creating family affair in BPP.Who cares for a common Parsee?
Simple question, what will be the end result of the survey even if 25,000 Parsees particpate.(though that is not possible).As far as Bombay goes, there is no hope with present set of Akaabars not at least till 2015 and there are trends towards creating family affair in BPP.Who cares for a common Parsee?
A question about financial aid towards aiding zoroastrians following zoroastrianism made me ponder if financialy securing other’s was the only way to moot zoroastrianism .If this was so then how come the zoroastrians prefered poverty, paid the jizya tax undergo hardships even today to preserve the faith.
In India a family for more than 3 Generations has taken help by way of houses etc, by institutions and peoples who gave such so that we continue to follow practises set in place by the saviours of zoroastrianism….YET some want to change zoroastrianism at a drop of a hat, due to either an intermarriage in the family or personal dislikes(anti dokhmenishini group).
Also if being financial sound was core to people following their forfathers then how come many who have migrated to the west have forgotten their roots though being on greener pastures.
Whilst it is imperative that studying zoroastrianism and its practises and following such could map the future of the community, I feel that the questionaire and questions pertaining towards the continuation of the faith gives the impression that zoroastrianism is just all about positive social behaviour truthfulllness, philanthrophy etc!.
Lastly the line that says that the questionaire is for Zoroastrias and Parsis..implies a difference tween the 2.
Whilst this being a fashion by few started by the ‘Gatha alone cult’..it goes on to imply that ‘Parsism saved Zoroastrianism’. It also maligns the efforts and a 1000 years of hardships by those who saved, brought back and gave us zoroastrianism, its practises and instituions that would alow the next generationS to follow zoroastrianism. Yet a jock wil always be a Scotsman n a scousser from Liverpool..just like the term’Parsi’ being given to Zoroastrians due to the circumstance that prevailed on our ancestors.
In any case the questionaire and the idea needs to be appreciated.
A question about financial aid towards aiding zoroastrians following zoroastrianism made me ponder if financialy securing other’s was the only way to moot zoroastrianism .If this was so then how come the zoroastrians prefered poverty, paid the jizya tax undergo hardships even today to preserve the faith.
In India a family for more than 3 Generations has taken help by way of houses etc, by institutions and peoples who gave such so that we continue to follow practises set in place by the saviours of zoroastrianism….YET some want to change zoroastrianism at a drop of a hat, due to either an intermarriage in the family or personal dislikes(anti dokhmenishini group).
Also if being financial sound was core to people following their forfathers then how come many who have migrated to the west have forgotten their roots though being on greener pastures.
Whilst it is imperative that studying zoroastrianism and its practises and following such could map the future of the community, I feel that the questionaire and questions pertaining towards the continuation of the faith gives the impression that zoroastrianism is just all about positive social behaviour truthfulllness, philanthrophy etc!.
Lastly the line that says that the questionaire is for Zoroastrias and Parsis..implies a difference tween the 2.
Whilst this being a fashion by few started by the ‘Gatha alone cult’..it goes on to imply that ‘Parsism saved Zoroastrianism’. It also maligns the efforts and a 1000 years of hardships by those who saved, brought back and gave us zoroastrianism, its practises and instituions that would alow the next generationS to follow zoroastrianism. Yet a jock wil always be a Scotsman n a scousser from Liverpool..just like the term’Parsi’ being given to Zoroastrians due to the circumstance that prevailed on our ancestors.
In any case the questionaire and the idea needs to be appreciated.
I filled in the survey but
A most disappointing survey why because
1. it focuses on two elements Parsees and business oriented entrepreneurship , it disregards other professions , and opportunities to serve the world, e.g. politics, the NGO world , the U.N. W.H.O. etc
2. It completely disregards other cultures within Zoroastrianism, e.g. Irani
3. It disregards the changes talking place in communities and especially the youth of the diaspora
4. It asks where you live in India , but not which city in any other country
5. It disregards the role or importance of the clergy and the scriptures i.e. where the values and virtues are inherited from
Concrete suggestions for programmes
Initiate a dialogue between Iranis and Parsees to ensure they transcend the cultural divide and see themselves as a unit of Zoroastrianism
Initiate a dialogue between the traditionalists and reformers to find a way of moving forward together and not be a divided community
Educated individuals to debate issues and not personalities
Research why so many Parsee men and women marry out
I filled in the survey but
A most disappointing survey why because
1. it focuses on two elements Parsees and business oriented entrepreneurship , it disregards other professions , and opportunities to serve the world, e.g. politics, the NGO world , the U.N. W.H.O. etc
2. It completely disregards other cultures within Zoroastrianism, e.g. Irani
3. It disregards the changes talking place in communities and especially the youth of the diaspora
4. It asks where you live in India , but not which city in any other country
5. It disregards the role or importance of the clergy and the scriptures i.e. where the values and virtues are inherited from
Concrete suggestions for programmes
Initiate a dialogue between Iranis and Parsees to ensure they transcend the cultural divide and see themselves as a unit of Zoroastrianism
Initiate a dialogue between the traditionalists and reformers to find a way of moving forward together and not be a divided community
Educated individuals to debate issues and not personalities
Research why so many Parsee men and women marry out