Don’t mix religion and politics: Vada Dasturji

Don’t mix religion and politics. This was the message that head priest of Udwada gave to more than 100 Parsis who assembled at Ahmedabad Management Association’s auditorium on Friday to participate in the commemoration of the 100th death anniversary of Dadabhai Naoroji, the grand old man of India.

At the event organised by Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat, Vada Dasturji (head priest) Khurshed Dastoor said, “On this day, we should think of how we are going to continue the legacy of Dadabhai, who always said ‘I am an Indian first.’ We should always remember we are Indians first. Nowadays, we discriminate ourselves from other religions. Please understand India is the only country that has given us refuge. If we had not been in India, we would have been in bad position. People who have gone to Iran have suffered. We were given protection by the Indian government and the government still helps us.”

He added, “Religion is a person’s belief and should be practised anywhere, inside your heart or at home. But, do not bring politics into religion. That is where our community has sadly been taken to by today’s generation and that is why youngsters don’t follow the religion.” 

The head priest was recently appointed as the Zoroastrian representative on the National Commission for Minorities.