Mag recollects Parsis' opposition to UCC

The Parsiana magazine, a popular Parsi magazine in its October 21 issue recollected the community's opposition to Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

In a small write up in their events and personalities section, the magazine talks about the uniform civil code while mentioning how the issue as such dates back to the colonial era and has again come up for discussion post DNA's article on October 12, 2016.

"While many of the questions in the form are innocuous in so far as the Parsi community is concerned, the second item in the form is bound to raise hackles. 'The various religious denominations are governed by personal laws and customary practices in India on matters of family law, should the UCC include all or some of these subjects? Marriage, divorce, adoption, guardianship and child custody, successions and inheritance'," the article states.

It goes on to add, "The issue of adoption had arisen when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's government had considered introducing an adoption bill. This was strongly opposed by the Muslims as well as the Parsis.

Many Parsis felt that adoption would grant the adopted non-Parsi child the same rights as a Parsi child. At present a Parsi is defined as one who is born of a Parsi father."

Considered to have given many progressive members from the community, the Parsis community is otherwise said to be conservative. It does not allow children of Parsi women married to a non-Parsi in the community.
While it is not uniform, in some cases, it has also barred women from entering the fire temple if they have married outside the community.

Stating that the penultimate question for the community is "Would a uniform civil code infringe on an individual's right to freedom of religion?" it asks their brethren to send their views and opinion to the law commission in 45 days which released the questionnaire.