I have read with enthusiasm and admiration Parsiana’s views on the most controversial topics concerning the Zarathushti faith and the Parsi community. Parsiana is the most courageous and fair publication I have come across. It has never hesitated to publish all types of views for people to examine — orthodox, liberal or a mixture of both. Even criticism of the magazine or errors made in it have been acknowledged and printed without any hesitation, along with an apology.
The magazine’s editorial team has very bravely tackled topics that are anathema to some like the question of disposal of the dead and whether the dakhmenashini system still works or not, given the extinction of vultures. Or the status of women being inferior to that of men which is totally unjust and definitely not according to the precepts of our religion.
Also we claim to be above casteism — yet we’ve created a caste in the pallbearers at Doongerwadi. We also boast about the purity of our race and about the Zoroastrian antecedents of Cyrus the Great, etc — but Berjis Desai has rebutted that myth in his well-researched piece "How Zoroastrian was Persia?” (Parsiana, July 7-20, 2023) as have the candid comments about this by four readers in Parsiana, August 7-20, 2023. Desai ends his article thus: "The great, pure, Persian Zoroastrian heritage which permits no extra-religious worship or interfaith marriages is therefore a myth which flounders badly in the face of unimpeachable, historical evidence.”
The traditional belief (myth) that menstruating women are spiritually unclean was thoroughly discussed and discarded in "Myths about menses” by Dina G. Mcintyre (Parsiana, March 7, 2017). Her research shows that "in the Gathas the only spiritual pollutants are things that are intrinsically evil, such as lies, cruelty, violence, anger, tyranny, bondage, murder, theft, harming, injuring… There is one path, that of truth; all others are non-paths. Under this teaching, a tradition is nothing — it is a non-path.” She also writes: "Spirituality has nothing to do with gender. In Avestan texts men and women are treated as equals… Both men and women were priests…
"The Vendidad states that ‘a menstruating woman’s spiritual pollution is infectious’ in which case our Zoroastrian community is polluted because they lead a normal life while menstruating. Nobody stops this because it’s practically impossible besides being inconvenient. Still the women when they menstruate are not allowed in any religious ceremonies, because that inconveniences no one else (except young girls and women).”
In the very sad case of the demise of Cyrus Mistry and Jehangir Pandole in a road accident on the highway between Udvada and Bombay while senior gynecologist and activist Dr Anahita Pandole was at the wheel, initial reports blamed her for speeding and overtaking from the left. Parsiana wrote: "But driving around at 100 kmph on a national highway is not excessive. The maximum permissible speed on interstate highway in India is 100 kmph and there’s talk about increasing it to 120 kmph. But the difference between driving in the developed world and a developing country like India is the design, construction and the maintenance of the highways, the capability of the driver and the road worthiness of the vehicles.”
A report on the blog/website, First Post quotes a spokesmen for the All India Vahan Chalak Mahasangh Vehicle drivers’ Federation as saying: "The width of the south bound lane on the Charoti flyover is 10.5 m which has been narrowed down to 7 m over the Surya River. What kind of road engineering is this? The highway authority has not put any warning sign.” With trucks hogging the fast lanes motorists have no option but to overtake from the left. The editor of Autocar India, in an interview with the television channel News Today, stated: "Pandole was a seasoned driver, and accidents can happen when a driver swerves to avoid a pothole or when some truck driver swerves from one lane to another and forces a car to a side.” Reader Phiroze Javeri wrote: "As a person who has been driving regularly on Indian highways for 54 years, I wish to question the irresponsible accusation by some that Dr Anahita Pandole was ‘overtaking from the left when the accident occurred.’ This is not overtaking. It is simply a good driver observing lane discipline” (see "The lows of high ways,” Parsiana, October 21-November 6, 2022).
I admire Parsiana’s courage to speak up for the underdog. Very few are brave enough to risk their necks. Parsiana was amongst the few to publish articles written by the beleaguered Kobad Ghandy (see "Travesty of justice,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, December 7-20, 2022).
It is a joy to go through Parsiana’s editorials featuring the trio of Alamai Writer, Aflaton Brawnwalla and Letap Hoshiyar. They’re great characters that cause our sides to hurt from laughing. It is said that a day without laughter is a day wasted. Thank you, Parsiana, for saving our day.
According to me the magazine’s editorial "Bring them back” (Parsiana August 21-September 6, 2024) takes the prize. The superb ending reads: "It is often the absence of gender and ethnic bias that draws Parsis elsewhere. Family members can belong to different faiths but can attend each other’s places of worship. They are not treated as outcastes at family religious events, ceremonies, funerals, etc. They are welcome to convert to the faith of their spouse. The Parsis’ beliefs in casteism, sexual bias and racism are incompatible with the trilogy of meritorious thoughts, words and deeds. Instead of berating those who look elsewhere they should endeavor to broaden the community’s narrow outlook.”
RATI DADY WADIA
wadiarati7@gmail.com