Another eight arrivals are expected by the year-end.

A central scheme that encourages Parsis to multiply has sired twins, in a double delight for the community whose numbers have been dwindling over the years.

A community veteran confirmed the new additions — a girl and a boy. “Last week, a Parsi woman from Mumbai gave birth to twins and the entire community is delighted. It is something incredible considering the fast-dwindling population,” Dadi E. Mistry, a member of the National Commission for Minorities, told The Telegraph.

So excited are Parsis that they are planning to celebrate the births on November 14 in Sanjan, a small town in Gujarat that borders Maharashtra, where members will congregate to mark what they describe as a “big step ahead”.

“Every newborn baby is a big step ahead as the community is staring at extinction. The news calls for a big celebration,” Mistry, who represents Parsis in the minority panel, said. Among Parsis, the death rate is three times the birth rate.

About the expected births, he said: “The community is waiting with bated breath.”

IMRAN AHMED SIDDIQUI – The Telegraph

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