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"The most important” session of the Global Working Group (GWG) was reserved for the last. The specially appointed panel of advisors had sat silently through the day’s earlier sessions on January 8, 2024 at the Banaji Atash Behram Hall while representatives from eight countries deliberated on community issues. The advisors suggested policies and programs that could be adopted by the Global Council of Zoroastrians Trust (GCZT) in four arenas: health; mobeds and agiaries; youth; poor and aged. Registered in Bombay over a year ago, GCZT provides an umbrella under which GWG representatives conjointly function for the wellbeing of the worldwide Zoroastrian community. 

Trustee of Masina Hospital, Homi Katgara, and physician Dr Rati Godrej recommended an insurance policy for the community; establishing a liaison and hotline between The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital (PGH) and Masina Hospital; introducing screening programs at the baugs/colonies to detect diseases early.

Although Masina has "trustees who are always Parsis it is not a community hospital,” pointed out Katgara. He regretted that "charity is getting left behind by Parsi doctors.” He referred to the possibility of creating an in-patient facility of six beds at the Neuro-Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center at Masina that could help this aging community. Godrej confirmed that patients suffering from Parkinson’s and Alzheimers require long-term care. "With children abroad, they require a lot of emotional, mental, financial support.” She also regretted that "people are not coming forward for screening as they question whether tests/surgery are necessary. They seem to have lost trust in the medical profession.”

Although PGH has a capacity for 250 patients, less than 100 beds are occupied, mentioned ArzanWadia, president of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) enquiring why the space could not be utilized for a senior citizens center. Clarified Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Viraf Mehta, "The PGH free ward is full, the paying ward is (not fully utilized) because the quality of care in commercial hospitals is supposed to be better.” 

If the GCZT works in similar areas and approaches the same donors as the BPP, this may "duplicate efforts,” felt Mehta. Supported BPP trustee Dr Adil Malia, "We should try and consolidate our energy…by getting a working team together.” Godrej was emphatic the medical programs needed to be introduced "with transparency rather than get bothered about who gets credit for what.” Appeals for medical funds and donations received would feature on the GCZT website. 

Referring to the regular appeals for medical assistance sent on behalf of young Parsis from India, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) trustee Rusi Dalal mentioned, "In England we are used to preventive medicine.” He recommended that insurance cover in India should start early. 

For the proposed community cashless medical insurance, there will be no age limit, no medical examination required, all preexisting diseases will be covered from day one with advanced treatment, low premium for youngsters will be available and an option of initially subscribing to a basic policy and raising the limit subsequently by paying a higher premium, summed up Katgara. GCZT chair Neville Shroff, president of the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hongkong, Canton and Macao (ZCFHCM), suggested that this insurance facility be restricted to patients coming to PGH and Masina. Godrej felt this may not be feasible as many in the community reside in the suburbs and in times of emergency going to the nearest hospital is advisable when time is of the essence.

Mobeds and ministry

A dearth of priests to tend the fire temples and the laity continues to vex the community. "Whether perceived as a calling, vocation or profession, mobedi is on a slippery slope. It is not economically rewarding. There are only 14 boys at the Dadar Athornan Institute,” summed up Dinshaw Tamboly, chair of the World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust (WZOT). A donor from North America gave two crore rupees (USD 240,669) so that every boy at the Institute would get 10 lakh rupees (USD 12,044) when he completes the 10th grade. 

According to him and Noshir Dadrawala, director and chief executive officer of the Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy, the long-term need is for scholar priests who are "well-versed in rituals, scriptures, ministry and outreach.” Tamboly recommended that around 50 atash behram boiwalas and mobeds who perform higher liturgical ceremonies should be given additional support of approximately Rs 35,000 (USD 421) a month that would annually require two crore rupees (USD 240,885). "Otherwise mobedi will not survive,” he was emphatic. He further revealed that 147 senior mobeds and their widows living in indigent conditions are being assisted with Rs 23,500 per month thanks to a donor from Hong Kong and another from Bombay. 

There are 52 fire temples in Bombay and 154 throughout India sending out periodic appeals for extensive renovations costing Rs 20 lakh (USD 24,088) each. "Where do we get such finances?” he asked rhetorically. 

As pointed out Dastur Khurshed Dastoor of Udvada, in North America "a priest is a mobed and a doctor/lawyer/engineer… In India he is a mobed and a mobed and a mobed. If a boiwala of an atash behram is paid Rs 50,000 (USD 602) a month and a freelance mobed Rs 25,000-30,000 (USD 301-361) with no medical insurance, no provident fund, he will definitely go for another better paying job. How do you expect me to tell my son not to pursue his passion and do mobedi? A bright student will go out and join another profession.” Tamboly cited the instance of nine boys from the Athornan Institute being taken to Sanjan last September, one of whom was explicit that "he is going to be a footballer. This is the psyche of our young boys.”

Work from the laity keeps shrinking each year. "They say they want kriya kaam (ceremonies) for only one year following a death in the family.” In the past, the ceremonies continued for several years. "At the time of a wedding, a hairdresser asks for and is assured air conditioned facilities but the priest will not even be given his cab fare,” Dastoor regretted. In some agiaries, the trustees demand donations from the head priests (panthakies) to run the fire temple. He referred to priests being promised help and then the grant being withdrawn after a year with the apology, "Sorry we cannot help. We have run out of funds.”  

When Jam-e-Jamshed editor Shernaaz Engineer suggested that the priestly profession be opened to behdins, Dastoor stated, "I am with you on these thoughts but the WhatsApp and social media scholars will say, ‘Who are you to start?’ In our scriptures, Zarathushtra has been described as an athravan, an agriculturist and an artisan.” Concurred Ervad Tehemton Mirza, president of the North American Mobeds Council: "If a priest can join different professions, why can’t behdins do likewise? Let a behdin become a mobed… Our religion has to change with newer ideas.” Education is the New Age "weapon” to move forward, believed Mirza. .

Dalal cited the instance of ZTFE that takes good care of their young priest, paying him GBP 50,000-60,000 (Rs 52.88-63.46 lakh) per annum. His language studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies were financed by ZTFE. Last month he celebrated his marriage in Bombay. 

 

  above: Neville Shroff, Viraf Mehta and Rusi Dalal

Youth empowerment

Is there something missing in the education system in India that the youth are undecided on which career they could follow? Raising this query was Homiyar Madan, a chartered accountant, who with Wadia has been tasked to suggest proposals for youth empowerment. 

As compared to the limited options available to Madan’s generation in the 1970s, the New Age professions today include luxury sales, influencer, politics... He felt that the youth could be guided with career exploration workshops, mentorship identification, professional interaction sessions and creation of professional teams. Only if they "excel in their career can they improve the community and safeguard community institutions.” Acknowledging that "knowledge is an ever changing field,” he felt that the older and younger generations have to learn from each other.

Wadia mentioned that more important than successful youth are youth willing "to be involved with the community. Induct them on what it means to be a Zoroastrian, tap their sense of identity. If they don’t know Parsipanu, they will lose out. We need a cadre of future leaders.” Confirmed Madan, GCZT will be "enablers, working with Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation (ZYNG), Xtremely Young Zoroastrians (XYZ).” In favor of "cross-pollination,” he regretted that young Zoroastrians from the West don’t want to marry those from India.

Senior care

Tracking the 18% drop in Parsi numbers in India between 2001-2011 with no census in 2021, Tamboly guesstimated that by the end of the century there will possibly be 9,995 Parsis left in India. He cited the study conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in 2009 when "the dependency ratio in the Parsi community was 1:4 (one earning member supporting four other non-earning members). Today it may be 1:5 or 1:6. There are more members on the wrong side of 50. Poverty in the community is increasing.” 

Last year WZOT contributed Rs 8.26 crore (USD 994,855) towards welfare of 2,646 individuals and six crore rupees (USD 722,655) on medical assistance to 599 applicants, said Tamboly. "This would not have been possible without the assistance of ZCHFCM. How will ordinary middle class people manage? We have to look to overseas associations in Hong Kong, North America and the UK for help. I work with figures and believe figures never lie,” he stated.

There is need for a proper survey to identify the poor and the needy in the community. To bring in transparency and quick disbursal of funds, he suggested an online portal in which many trusts can participate to review the applications online and determine the amounts sanctioned.

Instead of disbursing funds, set up community kitchens in baugs to serve meals to those in need, recommended Tamboly. Or implement a food scheme in collaboration with Seva Kitchen where specially designated food contractors could supply meals to the disadvantaged against coupons.

"In India, you have statistics. In the West we have complacency that is our enemy. We should know our demographics… before it becomes a crisis,” cautioned GCZT trustee Rohinton Rivetna.

When Malia sought to ascertain whether the suggestions from advisors would fructify into "anything concrete,” GCZT treasurer Sam Balsara responded, "We will prepare action and resource generation plans to achieve something concrete.”

Reports by regional representatives and committee chairs will be carried in the concluding instalment.