No govt interference in community matters

Parsis are one of the most dynamic and charitable communities whose contribution to India is immense. But the fact is that Parsis are on the verge of extinction with a higher death than birth rate.

In a bid to help out, the Union ministry of minority affairs had sought to provide government aid to boost the community’s fertility rate. But the Planning Commission has negated the move, saying it is not for political agencies to intervene in such social matters.

The commission is right. The decline of the Parsis, a well-documented phenomenon, is rooted in many reasons. The community is, by and large, prosperous and educated. This has led to late marriages and smaller families.

The community also has a large pool of unmarried women. Then there is the religious reason: the community refuses to allow converts, nor does it consider children of Parsi women and non-Parsi men as its own. In this day and age, this is both an antiquated and a regressive standpoint.

Yet, these are matters the Parsis have to resolve themselves. The good news is that within the community, debates are on. The bad news is that at present, the conservative side, which refuses to open up the community to others, holds the upper hand. Given the complex nature of the problem, it is best that the State keeps out.

This is not to insist on a blanket ban on government interference in community affairs. The government should intervene where individual rights, especially that of women or the lower castes, are trampled upon, or when the community chooses to hound its dissident members. The government must also interfere to insist that places of worship or burial grounds do not bar fellow members to prevent exclusive clubs within communities.

But boosting fertility rates is not an issue that requires the government to step in. The ministry of minority affairs is said to be upset at this decision and may appeal to a higher authority. We hope that they will, instead, accept the valid viewpoint of the panel and stay away.