HVK Archives: Parsis struggle in grim battle against extinction
Parsis struggle in grim battle against extinction - The Asian Age
Madhavankutty Pillai
()
14 May 1997
Title : Parsis struggle in grim battle against extinction
Author : Madhavankutty Pillai
Publication : The Asian Age
Date : May 14, 1997
Prosperity, the brain-drain, education, women's emancipation and urbanisation are
taking their toll on the Parsi community in India, which is decreasing at an
alarming rate and if the community's population trend continues, in 150 years,
there may be no more Parsis.
The main reason paradoxically is believed to be the urbanisation and prosperity of
the community.
In 1881, the Indian Parsi population was 85,397. It hit a high of 114,890 in
1941. By 1971 it had declined to 91,266. The 1991 census puts the population at
71000. Between 1941 and 1991 the population decreased by 38 per cent.
Parsiana, a Parsi magazine edited by Mr Jahangir Patel carries the number of
births and deaths in the Parsi community per month and per year. The figures speak
a very grim picture. In 1996, the number of Parsis born in Mumbai stood at 218
while 959 died. In 1993, 242 were born and 998 died. The figures available in
January 1997 show that 15 Parsis were born and 91 died.
According to Mr Kersi Limathwala, a prominent member of the Parsi community, "As
compared to other communities, Parsis are more westernised and want independent
living conditions. The joint family concept has gone. They also prefer to settle
down in life before marrying. However, because of the accommodation problems of
Mumbai, they do not find houses and therefore do not marry." Mr Limathwala puts
the present Parsi population of Mumbai around 60,000. Which means that in 120
years there may not be any more Parsis in Mumbai.
Parsis are, in fact, the most urbanised community in India. In 1961, 94 per cent
of the Parsi population was urbanised, while for Hindus the figure was 16.4 per
cent.
Ms R.K. Khariwala has headed many Parsi institutions and at present is the
chairman of an agiary at Bandra. She said, "One of the reasons for the decline in
population is late marriages. Another reason is that if a girl marries outside the
community, it is not accepted. And Parsi girls are generally more educated than
boys. All these contribute to less marriages." In 1871 the number of Parsi males
marrying in the age group 16-20 was 72. In 1946, it was only one while for the
age group 26-30 it jumped from 12 to 202. Similarly, the age group 3640 had no
males marrying in 1871 while in 1946, 57 males married. In the Parsiana issue of
January 1997, the average age for female Parsis who marry is 26 and for the males
it is 31.
Mr Riyad Wadia, filmmaker and another prominent member of the Parsi society said,
"The decline in Parsi population has crossed the critical mass. Critical mass is
a term in mathematics which once crossed means that it is impossible for the
population to rise again." Mr Wadia believes that with prosperity, the need for
procreation has ceased to be all encompassing for the Parsis. In 1931, within the
Parsi community, the number of children per family were 4.6 - greater than both
Hindus and Muslims. By the 1970s, it had come down to 2.45.
Also, brain drain has hit the Parsis hard. Mr Limathwala said, "In the last one
or two decades the cream of the community has been lost to USA and Canada." Mr
Jahangir Patel believes that reasons like accommodation, brain-drain are
secondary. He compares the situation to Japan and Singapore. He says, "Even in
the West the birth rate is decreasing. The Parsis want small families. Education
has made woman more independent. The decline cannot be just attributed to
urbanisation. Studies have revealed that even in rural areas the Parsi population
is decreasing."
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