Your editorial "The sale that worked” and the article "Land and largesse” (Parsiana, August 7-20, 2024) should be eye-openers for trustees of all public charitable trusts that own large pieces of land lying unused and under threat of encroachment. My heartiest congratulations to the trustees of The Bandra Parsi Convalescent Home (BPCH) trust for taking such a dynamic and progressive step not only for the benefit to their own trust but also of needy members of the community.
The tragedy of our community is that we are rich in assets but poor in planning. As per demographic trends, our population is declining by 18%. In 2051, there will be only 25,891 Parsi Zoroastrians living in India and in the year 2101 the number will drop to 9,599. I shudder to think of what will happen to our properties, fire temples and towers of silence.
The declining number of Parsis is a very serious matter and all Zoroastrians, including community leaders and trustees of public charitable trusts, should take immediate action to halt this. If trusts sell off extra land that is lying vacant, we will be able to take care of every poor Parsi Zoroastrian from the womb to the tomb.
What our community needs today is unity of thought and action. We should learn to live like an undivided joint family to enable every youth to undertake higher studies and settle them in life as well as look after all senior citizens. The exemplary step by the trustees of the BPCH should be emulated to uplift disadvantaged Parsis and save our community from extinction. Dr B. H. ANTIA
bhantia@mullas.net