– Berjis Desai And Dinshaw Tamboly Deliver Compelling Calls For Reform And Revival –
In a significant move to safeguard one of India’s most influential yet numerically vulnerable groups, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) hosted a high-level national seminar titled, ‘Parsis in Modern India: Navigating Cultural and Socio-Economic Pathways.’ Held at Mumbai’s Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, on 9th May, 2026, the high-level gathering brought together Union ministers, scholars, industrialists, philanthropists, policymakers and prominent community leaders to deliberate upon the demographic challenges, cultural continuity and evolving socio-economic realities confronting India’s Parsi Zoroastrian community.
The event served as a clarion call for a coordinated mission to arrest the community’s demographic decline while preserving its colossal cultural legacy. It comprised sessions addressed by Shri Kiren Rijiju – Hon’ble Minister, Union of Minority Affairs; Shri George Kurien – Hon’ble Minister of State for Minority Affairs; Shri Berjis Desai – Parsi Representative, National Commission for Minorities, and many other dignitaries and eminent technical and expert speakers.
The seminar, part of a series of academic engagements initiated by the NCM earlier this year, saw the unveiling of a commemorative Coffee Table Book documenting the Parsi community’s legacy. Addressing the gathering of scholars, industrialists and community leaders, Union Minister for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, reaffirmed the government’s unwavering support for the Zoroastrian ethos, pledging “active intervention” to prevent the decline of the community. The seminar began auspiciously with a prayer by Vada Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor, who reminded the community that we need to, “think nobly, create wisely and improve the world through righteous actions.”
The discussions across the day were underscored by a paradox: while the Parsi community has contributed disproportionately to India’s industrial, legal, and philanthropic foundations, it now stands at a demographic “crossroad.”
In his keynote address, Shri Kiren Rijiju spoke about the tremendous “impact” that the community has made on the Indian landscape, to the extent that it’s difficult to believe the minuscule numbers. Responding to global narratives regarding minority safety in India, he added, “There are inimical elements who really want to destroy India’s image globally… they try to inform the rest of the world that India is not safe for the minorities. I don’t think there’s a better example than the Parsi community [to disprove this]. The Government values every community and follows the dictum of Prime Minister Narendra Modi – ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, strengthened further with ‘Sabka Vishwas’ and ‘Sabka Prayas’.”
The Minister also highlighted specific government initiatives for cultural preservation, revealing that dedicated centres for Pali, Prakrit, and Avestan languages are being developed at Mumbai University. “Avestan being the ancient language of the Parsi people, the Zoroastrian faith believers will have better connect with their old texts and teachings,” Rijiju explained.
Shri George Kurian, Minister of State for Minority Affairs, addressed the specific hurdles ahead. “The community today faces distinct challenges, particularly with regard to demographic sustainability,” Kurian noted. “Recent discussions at the national level have drawn attention to concerns such as declining population trends and changing social patterns. These are complex issues that call for a thoughtful and coordinated response, involving both policy support and active community participation.”
Smt. Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary – NCM, emphasized the Commission remained deeply engaged with issues affecting the community, stating, “efforts are guided by sensitivity and a clear understanding of the community’s unique identity, focusing specifically on access to welfare schemes and demographic challenges.”
The seminar served as a consultative platform for community leaders outlining a comprehensive roadmap for survival, balancing cultural preservation with modern, socio-economic adaptation to ensure continued growth. Central to the way forward was the rejuvenation of the ‘Jiyo Parsi’ scheme, through coordinated efforts involving NGOs, experts, and the Bombay Parsi Punchayet.
Shri Pyare Jiya Khan, Chairman of the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission, stressed the need for “sustained institutional support” to help minority institutions thrive rather than just survive. While, Shri Hormazd Godrej of Godrej Agrovet Ltd. highlighted the need for entrepreneurial traditions to be backed by modern frameworks, stating the need to “preserve its unique cultural identity for future generations.” He shared that Parsis are facing challenges at an existential level and what the youth needed was, “a greater sense of identity,” recommending setting up a dedicated mentorship programme for them.
This sentiment was echoed by Ms. S. Munawari Begum, Member, NCM, who warned that the “declining population of Parsis presents a matter of concern and requires collective attention from the Government, community institutions, civil society and scholars.”
The speakers all agreed that the community’s survival depends on a “balanced approach” – maintaining the purity of Zoroastrian identity while adapting to contemporary socio-economic realities. The seminar also hosted technical sessions moderated by Shri Yazdi Tatra.
As a follow-up to the day’s deliberations, Dr. Atya Nand, Joint Secretary – NCM, announced that a comprehensive compendium on Jainism, Buddhism and Parsis would be launched in New Delhi, on 19th May, 2026, further cementing the government’s commitment to India’s pluralistic fabric.
In the first, ‘Cultural Identity and Preservation Among Parsis in Modern India’, the speakers included Tinaz Nooshian, former Editor-in-Chief of Midday and a Cultural Researcher; Dr. Kerman Daruwalla – Project Coordinator TISS-PARZOR Academic Programme; Er. Kerman Fatakia – Curator of Framji Dadabhoy Alpaiwalla Museum; and Dr. Meher Mistry – Head of History Department, Ramniranjan Jhunjhunwala College.
While elaborating on the history and cultural evolution of Parsis in India, speakers brought to the fore certain specific asks from the government. In her discourse on the embroidery and textiles like the ‘tanchhoi’ and ‘gara’ which are uniquely associated with the Parsis, Tinaz Nooshian asked that Parsi embroidery be included in the national craft education and the national intangible cultural heritage of India, while stressing that research and documentation should be encouraged and published. Others felt that there should be sustained government and institutional support in the study and preservation of Zoroastrian culture, religious ethos and ancient languages like Avestan and Pahlavi.
The second technical session on ‘Socio-economic Status and Challenges of Parsis in Contemporary Life’ speakers included Mr. Dinshaw Tamboly, Chairman, WZO Trusts, who shared some alarming statistics on the demographic decline in the community, with an average projected decline of 18% per decade!
Prof Shalini Bhagat, Former VC, TISS elaborated on the issues of late marriages, declining fertility rates and high dependency ratio of seniors, seen as a primary cause of many adults not marrying. Prof. Nasreen Rustomfram, former Chairperson – TISS Centre for Lifelong Learning, spoke of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety and dementia, faced especially by the Parsi elderly. She recommended measures like, “Befriending Initiative”, “Aging in Place” and structural support. Pearl Mistry, former Jiyo Parsi Counsellor, shared a heartfelt message about her experiences with the programme and the ground realities of having more children and coping with a stop in the funding, or not being able to ensure quality higher education for children, due to absence of reservation for Parsi students in universities, despite being a micro-minority. She also highlighted that while the government’s Jiyo Parsi programme encourages Parsis to have more children, yet, a Parsi with three children is denied promotion in government organisations. These issues needed to be resolved.
Shri Harish Kumar, Deputy Secretary – NCM, delivered the vote of thanks. As the seminar concluded, the message was clear: the Parsi community is an essential thread in the Indian tapestry, and the Ministry is prepared to move beyond rhetoric to ensure this thread does not fray
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Much appreciate all the effort.
Gratitude to Mr Yazdi Tantra for sharing these details.
Dr. Karishma