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"The Zoroastrians of Pakistan are NOT a declining community, we are a DYING community!” emphasized Dinshaw Avari, chairman of the Karachi Parsi Anjuman Trust Fund, in his report submitted to the Global Working Group (GWG). Constituting representatives from nine regions, GWG functions as an arm of the Global Council of Zoroastrians Trust (GCZT). Pakistan, Iran and the UK were the only three regions that had sent a written report, as requested, prior to the GWG meeting at the Banaji Atash Behram Hall on January 8, 2024. 

In the next 10-20 years in Pakistan "we may be down to a couple of hundreds,” guesstimated Avari who had joined the meet on Zoom. The decline in community numbers has resulted in "empty apartments and houses. All community trusts are working together to help the aging community.” Nearly 39% of their population is over 65 years of age. More than 50 families are waiting for approval by the Canadian government on a new migration scheme. 

A major challenge is finding priests for their two agiaries in Karachi. Hoping to tempt someone from India, Avari assured, "Things are not as bad (in Pakistan) as made out in the media. We will arrange for the work visa. Our priests are well taken care of.” Books relating to Zoroastrianism at their Dastur Dr Dhalla Library are being digitized. Before the print copies are lost to posterity, they offered to send these books to the Zoroastrian Association of Houston that is planning a museum on Zoroastrianism or to any other community association in the diaspora. 

   Photos: Sarosh Daruwalla

In Iran, the healthcare and social support system for the elderly requires to be strengthened as there is "an age gap in the community,” noted a report by US based Alayar Dabestani. He further referred to the need for financial assistance to schools and cultural organizations as also publishing houses and media outlets. 

In the UK, Zoroastrians number around 5,000 amidst a population of 67.73 million. "Our presence is quite prominent,” stated Rusi Dalal, trustee of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE). He referred to ZTFE president Malcolm Deboo attending the coronation of King Charles; Lord Karan Bilimoria in the House of Lords; Sir Ron Kalifa serving as senior non executive independent director of the Bank of England and special advisor to the Labour Party. 

ZTFE co-trustee Dorab Mistry who had joined on Zoom reported that hosting the 8th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress (8WZYC) in London last July left them with a surplus of UKP 60,000 (Rs 63.24 lakh) that they will use for promoting and subsidizing future youth events. For the Congress, the largest sponsorship sum of UKP 50,000 (Rs 52.37 lakh) had come from Dr Cyrus Poonawalla. "One of the great advantages of GWG is that we raise money for each other… It has been a great learning experience for us… All credit to GWG that gives us a platform to work together as a community worldwide,” mentioned Mistry.

Newly elected chairman of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), Viraf Mehta mentioned that theirs is an "asset rich and cash strapped” trust. While raising funds through auction of flats, the trustees realize it is "not a long-term solution.” He referred to the trust having "kickstarted six property redevelopment projects” at Chandanwadi, Fort, Tardeo, Napeansea Road, Vile Parle and Andheri. They are further conducting a feasibility study of erecting an ownership building in Cusrow Baug. He reported that they had resolved 40 legal cases concerning property disputes with another 25 expected to be settled in the next three years. Besides giving doles to 500 individuals, they extend medical and educational aid, and expend funds on the maintenance of Doongerwadi and for provision of kathi. The fact that "you haven’t heard anything negative in the Press” about the BPP, according to Mehta, was "a good indicator of trustees keeping personal matters inhouse.”

For the 27 "extremely busy” Zoroastrian associations in North America, "the only complaint is that there are not enough days and weekends in a year,” stated Arzan Wadia, president of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA). Following their last annual general meeting in Sacramento, California, FEZANA kicked off a Public Advocacy and Outreach Committee that will engage with government and other agencies at the federal, state and city levels to highlight issues that affect Zoroastrians.

At the 8WZYC, around 50% of the participants were from North America, stated Wadia. To subsidize the costs of their youth registered for the Congress, USD 125,000 (Rs 103.87 lakh) was committed. FEZANA allocated USD 50,000 (Rs 41.51 lakh) to supplement the amount of USD 10,000 (Rs 8.30 lakh) raised by the Zoroastrian Youth of North America (ZYNA), plus another  USD 65,000 (Rs 53.96 lakh) came from member associations. At their youth retreat in Toronto, ZYNA strategized the programs they want to undertake, one of which was a six dar-e-meher, west coast tour. This year they will organize a similar one on the east coast. The completion of the Dar-e-Mehr in Ontario will mark the 15th Dar-e-Mehr in North America. 

"We have a lot of geography but very little history,” summed up Firoz Pestonji, chair of the 11th World Zoroastrian Congress held in Perth, referring to the communit in Australia. They have a WhatsApp group to keep the Zoroastrians in the Oceania region connected. Numbering around 5,000 in Australia and New Zealand, their efforts to form a federation are yet to bear fruit. Over 60 youth from Australia/New Zealand attended the 8WZYC in London. Farida Irani of Sydney referred to their sports programs, gahanbars and cultural activities to help create awareness about Zoroastrians in Australia. A dar-e-meher is being planned for the Zoroastrian Association of Victoria by former president Khurshed Mirza. 

The community in Singapore "numbers around 250 with an average age of late 30s/early 40s. We have a lot of migrants. Our two-year-old museum has been well received by Singaporeans and leaders. In fact we hope to welcome the Indian high commissioner to it in an exclusive visit for his team next month,” stated Homiyar Vasania who had joined on Zoom.

Hong Kong has a transient Zoroastrian population numbering between 220-230, reported Neville Shroff, president of the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hongkong Canton and Macao (ZCFHCM) and chair of the GCZT under whose banner the GWG has been formalized. Functioning as "one association, one community,” there is harmony, collaboration and participation in the 24 complimentary events held each year in Hong Kong. "The trustees don’t allow disagreements” to mar their functioning, he said, directing his statement to the BPP trustees. On his return to Hong Kong, he expected there would already be 100-200 appeals for financial assistance that ZCFHCM trustees would need to assess.

The Dubai economy has bounced back post the pandemic; there is a strong recovery in properties and the hospitality industry is flourishing with 10 million visitors from January to September 2023, reported GCZT trustee Meher Bhesania. Zoroastrians in Dubai have "a comfortable lifestyle and help each other. The youth now prefer to study here (Dubai)” instead of looking to the West for university education.

In Africa, two Parsis remain in Tanzania, around six in Nairobi and nearly a dozen in Kampala, according to Dalal, formerly from Zanzibar. There is a Zoroastrian burial plot in Kampala that 

Dalal is trying to save with local support.

 

Collective action

The chairs of the standing and ad hoc committees constituted by the GWG shared their concerns and gave an update on their segments. Facing limited financial remuneration, infrastructure and growth opportunities, the youth in India are not drawn to a full-time mobedi profession, regretted Dastur Khurshed Dastoor of Udvada. The mobeds in North America, "the most educated group of clergy (in the community) who in most cases provide voluntary service…face a unique and different set of challenges,” stated Ervad Tehemton Mirza, president of the North American Mobeds Council (NAMC). With the aging of the first generation of priests who had originally received their priestly training in India, efforts are being made to create a structured course for the young, nextgen mobeds. 

To learn the Avestan language and the meaning of prayers some of them "get up at 7 a.m. on weekends to attend Ervad Ramiyar Karanjia’s class on Zoom,” reported Mirza. Another initiative of this "democratically constituted, independent organization in North America,” include a specially created $ 100,000 (Rs 83.10 lakh) Soli Dastur Education Fund for the higher education of mobeds. Their in-person and online courses on religion conducted by the NAMC Institute of Zoroastrian Studies are availed of even by the laity in Ukraine and Myanmar. Specially tasked mobed liaison members serve as conduits between the NAMC and the Zoroastrian associations in their area.

In his note on "Infrastructure for Zoroastrian Communities Worldwide” Rohinton Rivetna of Chicago recommended that each Zoroastrian pocket should have a salaried resident priest who serves as a "ritualist, minister, educationist and scripturalist.” Addressing an "individualist community” that is progressively secular, Rivetna emphasized, "Religion is the glue that holds us together.”

Urging Zoroastrian households in the West to give an annual donation to their local agiary/association/charity, he further advised senior Zoroastrians to make a will and name a community organization as a beneficiary. "As a community, we have been spoilt with benevolence,” he added.

Besides maintaining the newly launched website of GCZT, the heritage, arts and culture committee has been creating short films to enlighten Zoroastrians and plans to publish a newsletter, mentioned Bhesania. 

Instead of organizing the seven haft sheen items only for the specially decorated tables on Navroz or the spring equinox, community members should create a haft sheen gardens in darbe mehrs and at home, mentioned Dr Behram Pastakia of Washington when giving an overview of the activities undertaken by the UN-NGO Committee. As an activity of its Ava Project, the Water and Trees group has launched a brochure explaining how a sustainable garden can be planted, whether indoors or outdoors, to serve multiple purposes: an eco-friendly environment for future generations; consumption of these products for a healthier lifestyle; ready availability of these items for the Navroz table.

Wadia referred to the "very active presence of ZYNA” as also the Young Zoroastrians in the UK who organized the 8WZYC. The Sydney youth help to clean up the Australian Zoroastrian Association property on weekends. The Zoroastrian Association of New Zealand Next Gen that organized a fundraising campaign to send their youngsters to the London Youth Congress have now planned a youth camp for those between 15 to 35 years of age in Auckland from April 26 to 29, 2024. In India, the Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation and Xtremely Young Zoroastrians continue to plan an array of activities. 

While Capt Percy Master, global president of the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) alluded to their efforts to improve the community’s future prosperity, Farrokh Rustomji, chief executive officer of the R. D. Sethna Scholarship Fund, briefly referred to the education webinars and the newly created Iranian Zoroastrian Youth Network that is endeavoring to support entrepreneurship among youngsters jointly with WZCC. As Dabestani had noted in his report on Iran, "Finding a job is very difficult due to the economic conditions in Iran… With the increasing difficulty of emigration from Iran, the young and able-bodied segment of the Zoroastrian community is on the rise… They need to be provided training and skills development opportunities.”

Those attending the GWG meeting were: Firoz Pestonji and Farida Irani from Australia; Burjor Antia, Yazdi Tantra, Sam Balsara, Viraf Mehta, Hoshang Jal, Dr Adil Malia, Noshir Dadrawala, Dr Rati Godrej, Homi Katgara, Homiyar Madan, Dinshaw Tamboly, Capt Percy Master and Farrokh Rustomji from Bombay; Meher and Kersy Bhesania from Dubai; Neville and Farida Shroff from Hong Kong; Dinshaw Avari from Pakistan; Homiyar Vasania from Singapore; Rusi Dalal and Dorab Mistry from the UK; Arzan Wadia, Rohinton and Roshan Rivetna, Katayun Kapadia, Ervad Tehemton Mirza, Dr Behram Pastakia and Bomi Patel from the USA. The Press was represented by Jam-e-Jamshed, Parsi Times and Parsiana.