With reference to "Who is a Parsi Zoroastrian?” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, November 7-20, 2022), the obiter dictum in the Bombay High Court’s Justices Dinshaw Davar and Frank Beaman judgment in Petit vs Jeejeebhoy referred to the illegitimate interfaith children of Parsi men.
In an answer given by an expert committee on religion as recorded in court (Suit No 91 of 1915 of Chief Court, Lower Burma before Commissioner R. S. Dadachanji, April 5, 1916) regarding the illegitimate children of Parsi women with durwands (aliens in faith) it was stated: "If a Baste Kustian (wearing the sacred girdle around her waist) by reason of having sexual intercourse with a doorwand, conceived and gave birth to a child, the name Adar Cheher should be recited (in prayers) on its death, together with the name it may have borne (during life). If that (child) had grown up and if it had been invested with the sudreh, it should be exposed in the tower of silence on death. If it be small, its dead body should be exposed to the sun, outside the tower of silence. If the custom on the side of that dead child’s (non-Parsi) father be that of cremation, burial or disposal by throwing in water and if the Baste Kustian give up the corpse of that child for disposal according to the custom on its father’s side, they commit a great sin. Therefore, it should not be given up.”
PROCHY MEHTA
Calcutta
prochymehta@hotmail.com