Danger to our noble community is from the very heart of BPP
by Ervad Darius Sethna
Ervad Darius N. Sethna
C/o C. Dorabji & Co.
Motlibai Wadia Bldg.
22 D, Parsee Bazaar Street
Fort, Mumbai 400 001
March 18, 2005
The World Body Protest Group
Dear Sir,
The recent meeting of the traditional Parsi/Iranian Zoroastrians held at Bardoli and organised by the Bardoli Zoroastrian Anjuman Mr. Khojeste Mistreee and his team and generously sponsored by none other than Mr. Areez Khambatta, a noble Athornan, was a unique experience and a great eye-opener for most of us who were present.
We were informed about the following:
1) formation of a (cosmopolitan) body of “WZO Individuals” is proposed under the umbrella of the World Zoroastrian Organisation (a non-Zoroastrian organization);
2) the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) and some few rogue Anjumans belonging to the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI) have shown their keen desire to join this proposed bogus non-Zoroastrian body of (cosmopolitan) WZO of Individuals this they are doing against the wishes of the majority members of the FPZAI.
41 of the 69 Anjumans who are Members of the FPZAI have said a clear “NO” to this merger and also, 24 out of 29 Anjumans Members of the FPZAI who were present in the Federation Meeting at Ahmedabad clearly said “NO” and were totally against joining this bogus body of cosmopolitan non-Zoroastrians, proposed by the World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO);
3) all the seven revered Vada Dasturi Sahebs of the Parsi/Iranian Zoroastrian Faith and Religion have vehemently objected to the BPP and any members of the FPZAI joining this proposed cosmopolitan non-Zoroastrian world body of Individuals;
4) to counteract this spurious body of non-Zoroastrians (yet who CLAIM to be Zoroastrians), like their patron (the current) World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO), an immediate formation of a world body of Individuals (consisting of traditional Parsi/Iranian Zoroastrians only) is proposed by the Bardoli organisers to be formed in Mumbai, to protect and preserve the assets of our trust funds and the sanctity of our consecrated places of worship. A noble cause indeed.
If at all any traditional world body is to be formed, then it should be formed only according to the scriptures and tenets of the Zoroastrian religion, i.e., it should comprise only Parsi/Irani Zoroastrians and their progeny. Membership to this traditional world body should be restricted to only Parsi/Irani Zoroastrians and their progeny. Implicit conformity with the scriptures is a must where the formation of a traditional world body is concerned.
Let us take a look at some issues which are cropping up nowadays the dual issues of intermarried Parsi fathers (Patrilineality) and the court ‘obiter’ (and not ‘judgement’) passed 90 years or so ago (Law of the Land).
a) ‘Patrilineality’ :
“Patrineality’, as believed and known in the Mazdo-Aryan civilisation and as applied to the Parsi/Iranian Zarthushti community today, simply means that the Man is the head of his Family and that his wife and his children will bear his ‘Family Name’ and will also embrace his own (first) name as their middle name, so that the others in the community will identify the origin of ‘his family’ and recognise ‘his’ wife and children by the virtue of ‘his’ honourable ‘NAME’.
‘Patrilineality’ does NOT mean that a Zoroastrian man gives his “bunyad” (tokham) the hereditary seed to some Juddin and creates a non-Zoroastrian progeny and claims the ‘RIGHT’ to convert this non-Zoroastrian progeny into the Zoroastrian Faith, by peforming a “MOCK NAVJOTE”.
b) ‘Law of the Land’:
As observations made “IN LAW” and opinion expressed by a very dear friend of mine, the late Mr. Justice Jamshed Sanjana, who has this to say about the ‘Law of the Land’ issue:
“No Law of the Land can supersede the time-honoured Laws of a Religion or Race as established by its fundamental beliefs, precepts, tenets, customs and traditions unless, of course, proved harmful to others.
“Mal-Practice
“A Mal-Practice which has been challenged opposed and objected to from its very time of inception cannot be construed as “USAGE” “IN LAW”, nor could it be considered as an acceptance of such Mal-Practice.
“Because something which is basically wrong remains wrong till such time it is corrected or eradicated.”
The Legal Opinion, as advocated by the Late Mr. Justice Jamshed Sanjana in the case of the illicit ‘Navjotes’ of Neville and Nusli Wadia, is as follows:
“There is no provision of Law to recognise ‘Non-Parsi’ person as Parsi Zoroastrians after performing rituals like the “NAVJOTE” and hence, no priest Mobed or Dastur can legally perform any ‘Rituals’ such as a ‘NAVJOITE” and admit any person who is a ‘Non-Parsi’ in the Parsi (Zoroastrian) Faith.
“I am basing my Legal opinion in this behalf of the Law pronounced in the case of Maneka Gandhi vs. Indira Gandhi.”
In other words, by simply putting a “sudreh” and “kushti” around a donkey, he or she does not become a Parsi/Irani Zarthushti.
Therefore, the BPP’s trustees’ decision (and the FPZAI’s also) to join the bogus cosmopolitan world body to be formed abroad this year shows that the danger to our noble community is from the very heart of BPP, which is infested with the diseased agents of the WZO who, unfortunately, are now in control over and manipulation of every breath and every step taken by the BPP. The voodoo beats of the “TAMBOLAS” are loud and clear in the BPP.
In conclusion, I suggest that if one needs to form a truly “TRADITIONAL” Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian World Body to protect and preserve the purity of our Race and Religion and our traditional institutions, then this can only be achieved by restricting its membership to ONLY PARSI/IRANI ZOROASTRIANS. No inclusion of intermarried Parsis (male or female) and their progeny should be allowed. This traditional world body of Parsi/Irani Zoroastrians should also include a clause and have a clear mandate to protect our revered Vada Dasturji Sahebs and the Parsi/Irani Zoroastrian Priesthood in general, from false threats and intimidation of ‘legal actions’ from those agents of the World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO) acting within the BPP in the garb of the ‘Law of the Land’.
With respect,
Yours faithfully,
Ervad Darius N. Sethna