Newly introduced features of the Jiyo Parsi scheme were explained by government officials at a workshop held in Navsari on January 29, 2025, notes an email sent to Parsiana by Ruzbeh Umrigar, convenor of the Navsari Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) on behalf of the Parsi Cultural Division of the S. B. Garda College Trust, Navsari. The scheme, introduced by the central government, has three components — medical assistance, advocacy and health of the community. Zoroastrian member of the National Commission for Minorities, Kersi Deboo, was present at the workshop where Alok Kumar Verma, deputy director general, Ministry of Minority Affairs was the chief guest.
1st row, from l: Rohinton Contractor, Cyrus Vandriwala, Aspi Ambapardiwala, Sharmin Tamboli;
2nd row: government officials with Kersi Deboo (3rd from l), and Alok Kumar Varma (4th from l)
Also in attendance were vada dastur of the Udvada Iranshah Atash Behram, Dastur Tehemton Mirza, along with Dara Deboo, trustee of the Navsari Anjuman.
After the government team had explained features of the scheme, Verma interacted with the more than 100 beneficiaries who had turned up from Navsari, Valsad, Surat, Vyara and other places in South Gujarat. Both he and Deboo requested community members to take greater interest in the scheme to improve it through discourse and suggestions. Many beneficiaries had the opportunity to air long-standing grievances directly with government officials, requesting them to look into their individual cases.
The views of The WZO (World Zoroastrian Organisation) Trust Funds representatives from Navsari, trustees Aspi Ambapardiwala, Rohinton Contractor and Cyrus Vandriwala, were noted, along with those of administrator Sharmin Tamboli.
Dr Hiren Savaliya from Gandhinagar who has been working closely with the minorities program stated in the closing address that Parsis have always stood for India; it is time that India stands for the Parsis to secure the future of the community in the country.
S. V.